Roar
by Reid Phantom
Summary: Lance met them while surfing just off the coast of Cuba. Hunk met him while helping out at his mothers' restaurant. Pidge met her while solving puzzles with her brother. Shiro met him after leading his soccer team to victory. Keith... Well, Keith had always known her. Which is why he was completely unsurprised to find out the cats were more than they seemed. *On hiatus*
1. Looking For Mew

**Cat of a Different Color**

 **Part 1: Roar**

* * *

High above the skies of earth, far into the stars that surrounded it, an empire celebrated as they conquered yet another planet. Meanwhile, deep in a cave on earth, hidden away in one of the planet's deserts, four pairs of eyes opened. The yellow orbs met one another, then their owners darted off in different directions.

* * *

A short ways off the coast of Cuba, an eight-year-old boy laughed as he watched his cousin fall off her surfboard. He teased the girl before turning to catch his own wave.

He promptly jumped and toppled off his board.

"What the-" he sputtered as he breached the surface. The threw his arms over the board to help him stay up and stared at the cat perched on the nose. He looked around. "How… Where did you come from?"

As if to answer his question, the cat lifted its paw and licked a bit of water off its fur.

"¿Estás bien, primo?" the boy's cousin asked as she paddled up to him. Her eyes widened when she saw the cat. "¡Es un gatito! Where from?"

"No lo sé. It just showed up." He pulled himself back up and onto his board.

The cat's tail twitched, but otherwise it didn't react as its perch rocked and dipped. With his new position, the boy could see that the animal was almost pure white except for the blue-black patches on the top of its head and tail.

It's golden eyes met his own and he found himself reaching towards it.

"¡Podría ser peligroso! ¡Ten cuidado, Lance!" his cousin warned, grabbing his arm.

Lance frowned, but when he looked back at the cat, he felt a warmth blossom through him. "No, it's fine." He reached out his other hand and cupped the cat's face. It immediately purred and nuzzled the hand. "See."

His cousin was still frowning, but she let him go and pulled away.

Lance's eyes darted up as he saw a wave coming towards them. "Well, I hope you can surf, Blue," he chuckled as he began paddling.

When the two returned to Lance's aunt's house after surfing, he was carrying a sleeping Blue in his arms as his cousin carried the boards. She had done pretty well, though there might have been a few extra scratches on the nose.

"Mama, look!" Lance shouted, catching the attention of both the two women on the porch and the small herd of children in the yard.

Shouts of "Gatito" and "Kitty" sounded out as Lance's younger siblings and cousins raced over. Blue was awake instantly, hopping down to bask in the children's attention. As Lance made sure the younger kids didn't pull on her fur, his older cousin went over to explain to the women.

"Can we keep her, Mama?" Lance asked and his mother and her cousin soon found themselves surrounded by puppy dog eyes.

* * *

The end of summer found Lance sitting on the porch, watching as his father packed their luggage into the car. He stroked Blue's ears and sniffled. "Sorry you can't come with us, Blue. Mama said it'd be too difficult getting you into the States."

"Mew."

Lance pulled a blue scarf out of his pocket and tied it around her neck. "Sonia will take good care of you though, and I'll see you next summer, okay!"

"Mew."

"Lance, time to go!"

Lance pressed a kiss to the top of the cat's head. "Bye Blue."

He ran off quickly, scrubbing at the tears on his cheeks.

A week later, the nine-year-old froze only a step into his backyard as he caught sight of a white and blue-black cat wearing a blue scarf sitting next to their pond, swatting casually at the fish inside.

"Blue?"

The cat's ear twitched and she looked up at him.

Lance squealed and ran over to flop down next to her.

"Lance, what's wrong?" his mother asked, peeking out of the house. Her eyes widened when Lance held up Blue.

"Mama, look who showed up!"

* * *

Honestly, considering his past, Lance wasn't as surprised as most would have been to open up his suitcase to find his cat napping amongst his clothes when she should have been thousands of miles away at home.

"Blue!" the fourteen-year-old groaned.

His eyes widened as he heard the door to his Garrison barrack opening and quickly dropped the lid to his suitcase and spun around.

* * *

"Hissss!"

At the sound of distress, the nine-year-old boy who had been carrying out the trash paused and looked around. He walked around the corner to see a pair of dogs growling at a crate. The boy could just see a pair of golden eyes peeking through the slats.

"Mewl."

"Hey, leave them alone!" the boy shouted, waving the trash bag at the dogs. The bag clipped one of them on the snout when they turned to him and they took off.

He set down the bag and knelt down next to the crate. "Hey there, it's okay. You're safe now." He lifted up the crate a little and peeked underneath. It was silent for a moment then a nose poked out.

The boy pulled back as the crate tipped over and a large cat shuffled forward. It shook the dust off its cream and gold fur and met his eyes.

"Hunk? Where are you?"

"Over here, mom," Hunk called out, scratching the cat under its chin. He stood up and grabbed the bag. "You wanna come with me?"

The cat stepped forward and nuzzled his leg.

"Alright. Mom's been wanting a cat. I bet she'll love you."

* * *

"Sh, Pua, hold still," Hunk whispered. The fourteen-year-old sighed in relief when he finally reached his barrack. He pulled open the door, then froze when he spotted a Latino boy standing next to one of the two beds in the room.

"H-hey, roommate!" the Latino stuttered.

"Roommate? I thought we got separate rooms," Hunk whimpered.

"No, you needed to put in a request for those rooms."

 _Oh man, I messed up! I'm going to get kicked out before classes even start!_ Hunk thought. He scrambled for something to say, some way to get out of the situation.

"Um, are you okay, dude?" the other boy asked and Hunk realized Pua had begun squirming again. He could only imagine how weird that would look for the other boy.

"Purr."

Hunk blushed as he felt something fluffy pop up through his collar and nuzzle his chin.

The Latino's eyes widened, but before he could say anything a shuffling noise sounded behind him and a face poked around his hip.

"Mur."

Hunk's grip loosened in his surprise and Pua squirmed free enough to drop out the front of his shirt. He quickly slammed the door shut as his cat jumped up onto the other boy's bed.

The boys watched in stunned silence as the cats greeted each other.

"So… you snuck your cat in too?"

"More like he snuck himself in. He somehow got into my luggage."

"Oh… Name's Hunk."

"Lance."

A moment passed.

"I won't tell if you don't."

"Deal."

* * *

A seven-year-old girl giggled as she played with one of her brother's puzzle games.

"How are you doing that, Katie?" her brother chuckled, the fifteen-year-old no longer stunned by his sister's genius.

The girl just continued to laugh as she handed over the completed puzzle. "Again!"

"Okay, but don't think I'll go easy on you!" he said, rearranging it and being sure to make it harder this time around.

Katie laughed at her brother, but paused when she felt something staring at her. She turned and spotted golden eyes hiding amongst the leaves of their tree. She peeked over at her brother, who was focused on the puzzle, then stood up and ran over to the tree. Slowly, she started climbing up.

"Katie? Oh my gosh! Katie, get down from there!"

The girl pushed past a group of branches and gasped when she caught sight of the eyes' owner. She moved to get closer, but a hand wrapped around her ankle.

"Maaaatt! Let me gooooo!"

"Katie, stop. You could get hurt. Come down."

"But there's a cat up here!"

"If there's a strange animal up there then that just means you need to get away even more."

"It's not a strange animal. It's a cat!"

"If you don't know the cat, then that makes it a strange animal. And you don't know any cats!"

"But…" Katie looked up at the cat.

It stared down at her for a moment before standing. Gracefully, it bounded from branch to branch until it collided with the girl's chest.

"Woah," she huffed at she lost her balance and fell into her brother's waiting arms.

"Katie, are you okay?" Matt asked, but the girl just laughed and pet the cat in her arms. It was a shiny silver color with just the faintest tinge of green mixed into the darker coloration on its back.

"I'm naming you… Chip."

"Ka-Katie! Don't name it!"

"We're keeping her!" Katie hissed, glaring at her brother. "And her name is Chip."

"I…" Matt sighed. "Whatever. Mom and dad can deal with you."

* * *

"Dad. Matt."

Chip purred, nuzzling her fourteen-year-old friend.

Katie - no, not Katie, Pidge - smiled down at the cat and scratched behind her ears. "Don't worry, we'll find them."

"Mrow."

"Yeah, together. Since you somehow managed to sneak into my barrack," she chuckled, turning back to her gear. "You're lucky I don't have a roommate." When she didn't get a response, Pidge turned to see Chip's tail disappearing into her pack.

Shrugging, the girl pulled her headphones back on and closed her eyes. She let herself get so focused on the sounds of alien chatter, she almost didn't notice when someone pulled one of the ear pads away from her ear.

"You come up here to rock out?"

* * *

"Bye, Shiro!"

"See you next weekend!"

"Yeah, see you, space man! We're gonna kick those spoiled Jays butts!"

Shiro laughed and waved as his friends and teammates drove off.

 _I'm going to miss this_ , the seventeen-year-old thought as he adjusted the strap of his soccer bag on his shoulder and turned to head up the path to his house. _Next year I'll be an official cadet. Won't have any time for summer soccer tournaments then. And then there's Angel…_

"Meow."

Shiro turned at the sound to see a large cat perched on the short wall bordering the yard, it's silver fur and golden eyes seeming to glow in the moonlight as a sharp contrast to the pitch black stripes swirling across its body.

"Hey, you're the cat from the soccer field, aren't you?" the boy asked. Tonight had been the first time since the start of summer that Shiro hadn't spotted the cat lounging around near the field, watching the players. "What are you doing here?"

The cat didn't so much as twitch.

"Okay." He turned back to his house again, but paused at a chirp.

He looked over to see the cat hopping down from the wall. It pranced over and wound itself around his legs.

"Well, hello to you too," Shiro chuckled. He reached down to pet the cat.

It purred and nuzzled him for a moment before darting off into the bushes.

"Um… Bye?"

* * *

Shiro stretched as he stepped off the Garrison shuttle. He quickly got out of the way of the others exiting and headed over to grab his luggage.

"Mo-ow."

Shiro chuckled and looked up to see Ryou lying atop the Garrison's outer wall. "Hey, I see you made it here alright."

The cat met his eyes for a second then turned and disappeared over the other side of the wall.

Shaking his head, he grabbed his bags. He wasn't at all surprised by Ryou's behavior. Although he usually saw the cat at least once every other day, more often than not he only appeared long enough to check up on him or mess with Merla. His friends liked to tease that Ryou was "a mother cat checking up on her kitten."

The twenty-three-year-old shouldered his bags and headed inside. After dropping off his luggage, he left towards the academy barracks.

 _Time to see how Keith's settling in._

Shiro tracked down the boy's room - a private barrack, he noted with a sigh - and knocked on the partially open door.

"Am I interrupting something?"

* * *

"Mew."

Shiro looked up at the noise and chuckled. "You know Ryou, one of these days I'm going to figure out how you sneak in here.

Giving a soft sad noise, the cat hopped up into his lap and slumped down.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

He repeated the noise and nuzzled his leg.

"Aw, did you hear about the trip? Don't worry, I won't be gone long."

The cat looked up at him with sad yellow eyes.

"You'll see, I'll be back from Kerberos before you know it."

Slumping down again, Ryou dug his claws lightly into Shiro's pants.

* * *

Keith sighed as he rested on the top of the shack. "Do you think Shiro'd be disappointed in me? I mean, he wasted all that time on me, and then I went and tossed everything away the moment he died. And now I'm running around the desert like a nutjob with a pair of cats as my only means of socialization."

Ryou purred and nuzzled the fifteen-year-old's hand.

"Thanks, though considering you're part of the problem that really isn't helpful."

 _Crazy._

Merla gave a yawn and turned over in her sleep. Ryou hissed at her.

Suddenly, both cats jerked up into sitting positions, ears twitching and alert.

"What's wrong?" Keith asked, sitting up.

The two turned, looking up in the sky and Keith followed their gaze. Something was heading towards the ground, too high to be a plane, too large to be an ordinary meteor.

"Showtime," Keith said and the three got off the roof. "Stay here."

 _What?_

Merla gave a yowl, but Ryou shoved her until she followed him into the shack. Keith jumped onto his bike and took off in the direction the object was falling.


	2. Reu-nya-ted

**For clarification on pronouns, Pidge is a girl, Keith is a boy, and Blue is gender fluid. However, their pronouns might be odd in certain parts as a result of different things. Blue shifts between male and female so so do their pronouns. Pidge is in disguise so in parts where the POV is focused on specific characters, her pronouns might be wrong as a result of them not knowing her gender and not because I - nor anyone else - am purposefully misgendering her.**

* * *

"I'm serious. They keep repeating one word, _Voltron_." Pidge held up a notepad, which had the word written on it alongside a bunch of doodles. "And tonight, it's going crazier than I have ever heard it."

"How crazy?" Lance asked, humoring the younger cadet.

"Meow?"

The trio spun around to see Pua and Blue pawing at Pidge's bag.

"Pua! Blue! What are you guys doing out here?" Hunk shouted.

Lance glared at him and Pidge raised an eyebrow. "Are those your cats?"

"Uh, no?" Hunk asked, turning to Lance.

"Hunk," the sixteen-year-old groaned.

He wasn't the only one annoyed though as Pua jumped onto Pidge's bag, tipping it over and dumping out a small cat. Chip immediately started hissing at the other two cats. Blue slinked forwards to nuzzle Chip, but she darted away and hopped up onto Pidge's shoulders, still hissing at the larger cats.

Lance smirk. "Is that _your_ cat?"

She glared back, but lifted her hand up to try and sooth Chip.

"Wow, we all snuck our cats in. What are the odds?" Hunk chuckled.

"I didn't sneak Chip in. She just followed me… somehow."

"Hey, that's the excuse Lance used our first year too."

"First of all, I said Blue snuck into my luggage, and second, I wasn't lying."

"Well neither am I!"

"Attention, students." The three cadets looked up as their instructor's voice came on over the intercoms to cut them off. "This is not a drill. We are on lockdown! Security situation Zulu Niner. Repeat: all students are to remain in barracks until further notice."

"What's going on?" Hunk asked standing up. His eyes widened as he saw a ball of fire hurtling towards the ground. "Is that a meteor? A very, very big meteor?"

Pidge grabbed her binoculars. "It's a ship," she said, looking through them.

Pidge yelped as Lance yanked the binoculars over his own eyes, pulling her along for the ride. "Holy crow! I can't believe what I'm seeing! That's not one of ours."

"No. It's one of theirs," Pidge said with a big grin. Finally! Now she was getting somewhere.

"So, wait. There really are aliens out there?" Hunk whined as they watched the ship crash a short ways into the desert.

Pidge began stuffing her gear into her pack as the Garrison personnel geared up and headed out to the crash site. "We've got to see that ship!" she said, pulling on her pack. Chip quickly jumped on and settled atop the bag.

"Hunk, come on!" Lance said as he and Blue chased after her.

"Oh, this is the worst team-building exercise ever," he told Pua, only to see that he was running after the others as well.

* * *

Keith took down the med techs easy enough. He moved over to the examination table, and froze when he realized who was on it.

"Shiro?"

 _But, how? What?_

Keith's eyes narrowed and he drew his dagger, quickly cutting through the straps holding the twenty-five-year-old down. He had just gotten Shiro's arm on his shoulder and started lifting him up when a trio of teenagers burst in.

One of the ones Keith vaguely remembered as being apart of his class at the Garrison started shouting as he bumbled forward to help Keith hold Shiro. "Nope. No, you- No, no, no. No, you don't. I'm saving Shiro."

"Who are you?"

"Who am I? Uh, the name's Lance."

 _Okay, but that really doesn't explain anything._

Lance blinked at him, then added, "We were in the same class at the Garrison."

 _Still doesn't explain why you're here or what you want with Shiro._ "Really? Are you an engineer?" the younger boy asked, hoping to get some even semi-relevant information.

"No, I'm a pilot! We were, like, rivals. You know, Lance and Keith, neck and neck."

 _Alright, now I know that's not true. Wait a second-_ "Oh, wait. I remember you. You're a cargo pilot." _I'd recognize that annoying misinformation anywhere._

"Well, not anymore. I'm fighter class now, thanks to you washing out."

 _Is the fact that you only got there because I got expelled for punching some kid who bad mouthed Shiro really something to gloat about?_ "Well, congratulations."

Keith went to take a step forward and nearly tripped. He looked down to see an overly happy turkish van nuzzling his boot. He looked up and noticed the smallest teen - who look vaguely familiar, though Keith couldn't place them - was carrying an abyssinian on their backpack and a ragdoll was tucked next to the legs of the largest.

 _More cats?_

"Blue you traitor!" Lance hissed.

 _Blue?_ Keith looked down at the cat that was sniffing at him. Blue looked up at him with knowing, excited eyes.

When Lance started moving, Keith shook himself out of his stupor and got moving as well, carefully avoiding kicking the cat that stuck close to his heels.

They carried Shiro out to Keith's bike, taking note of the largest teen's frightened exclamation of, "Oh man, they're coming back and they do not look happy." Once they reached the bike, he asked, "Uh, do you mind if we catch a ride with you?" even though the smallest teen was already clambering up onto the bike. It didn't seem he was looking for an answer anyways, since he jumped onto the tail without waiting.

"Is this thing going to be big enough for all of us?" the smallest teen asked as the entire bike was jostled.

"No," Keith growled. He flipped open the bag set in front of the handlebars and said, "Cats in the bag."

"Excuse me," Lance shouted, offended on Blue's behalf even though it and the ragdoll were already climbing in. The abyssinian just ducked into the backpack it was riding on.

Keith flicked the bag closed and started the bike just as the lights from the Garrison's vehicles fell over them. Thankfully it did lift off the ground and Keith turned away from the makeshift base and sped away in the opposite direction.

"Why am I holding this guy?" the smallest teen asked as Lance shoved Shiro into their arms.

"Hey, we did all fit," the largest teen pointed out.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Lance complained, looking back at the approaching vehicles.

"We could toss out some non-essential weight," Keith pointed out.

"Oh right!" A moment passed. "Okay, so that was an insult. I get it."

Keith saw an opening and ordered, "Big Man, lean left!"

The bike suddenly tipped, allowing it to quickly swerve to the side. The Garrison vehicles tried to follow and two of them crashed.

Keith pulled the bike up a hill as the largest teen exclaimed, "Aw man! Mr. Harris just wiped out Professor Montgomery! No, no, he's fine."

"Big Man, lean right!"

The bike swerved off a cliff and landed on the other side. The cars followed and another vehicle was down. One left.

"Guys-s-s-s-s, is that a cliff up ahead?"

"Oh no, no, no!" Lance shouted and the others soon followed suit.

Keith smirked and sped up. "Yep."

The bike shot over the edge to the sounds of three voices screaming, "No, no, no, no!"

"What are you doing? You're going to kill us all!" Lance screamed.

"Shut up and trust me!" Keith yelled back. He increased the power on the hover jets to cushion the fall and they landed rough, but safe, and continued on without stopping.

"You're insane!" the smallest teen shouted and Keith felt a small foot dig into his back.

"We're fine," he growled.

"I think I just saw my life flash before my eyes!" Lance yelled.

"I think I'm going to throw up," Big Man groaned.

"You all could have stayed at the camp, you know."

"Who even are you?" the smallest teen asked.

"Right, Pidge, this is Keith. Keith, this is Pidge. And I'm Hunk, in case you forgot me like you forgot Lance," Big Man said.

"Pleasure. What's their name?" Keith asked, tilting his head towards the ragdoll peaking out of a hole that had been sown into the bag alongside Blue, both looking peaceful compared to the teens behind Keith.

"Oh, that's Pua. It's short for Pua Fiti."

"Pua Fiti?"

"It's a flower."

"You named your cat after a flower?"

Keith sighed and tuned out the others. He did reach over to scratch Pua behind the ears though.

* * *

Keith turned off the bike and let the cats out once they pulled up next to a shack.

"What is this place?" Pidge asked as she lowered Shiro to Lance, who had already jumped to the ground.

"Do you live here?" Lance snorted.

Keith glared at him, but didn't get a chance to say anything as a pair of cats came running out.

The fluffy one immediately ran up to Shiro, nosing his hand with a "Mrow?"

The spotted one on the other hand chose to tackle Blue.

"Blue! Dude, get your psycho cat off mine!" Lance shouted, nearly dropping Shiro.

"Um…"

The two purring cats were completely intertwined, head butting and nuzzling one another.

 _I've missed you! I love you, Blue! I've missed you so much! Don't ever leave again!_

"Yeah, I don't think either of them want that. You can try if you want. Wouldn't recommend it, though."

Lance glared and passed Shiro to Hunk. He reached down to grab Blue and got a long scratch on his arm from a hissing spotted cat for his efforts.

 _Mine!_

"Told you."

"Control your cat! What even is that, a teacup cheetah?"

Keith ignored him and helped Hunk with Shiro. As they headed into the house, Ryou nuzzled Pua before walking over to nudge the lovebirds apart. They reluctantly pulled apart and Blue greeted him.

Lance took the chance to grab his cat. "Come on, you traitor."

Blue lightly nipped his hand, but didn't try to get free.

Pidge, who had been looking over Keith's bike, was the last to enter the shack. She staggered only a few steps in when a weight hit her back. "Uh, Keith, can you get your cat off me?"

He looked up from lowering Shiro onto the couch to see the black and silver cat standing on his hind legs and clawing at Pidge's bag. "Ryou is Shiro's actually. Mine's the serval, Merla. Ryou, what's up?"

"Mrow."

"Mew?" Chip peaked her head out and purred at the sight of Ryou. She hopped down and the two cats greeted one another. Blue quickly squirmed free to join them.

"How many secret friends do you guys have?" Keith asked Merla.

The cat looked around at the other cats with hooded eyes and purred.

 _Pride._

* * *

"What are these?"

The group was wandering through the cave Hunk had led them to using his _Voltron Geiger Counter_ and the others all looked around at the various carvings covering the walls.

"These are the lion carvings I was telling you about. They're everywhere around here."

Lance hummed and looked closer at one of the carvings. He brushed away some dust, then jumped away when the carving glowed blue. "Whoa. Whoa!"

They all made sounds of surprise as all the carvings began to glow.

"They've never done that before," Keith said. He gasped when he spotted Blue standing next to Merla, her fur glowing the same blue. Her eyes flashed blue and she disappeared just as the floor crumbled from underneath them.

The five humans and four cats fell down a waterslide-like tunnel before being dropped into a shallow pond.

Lance was the first to rise and he gasped at the sight of the massive, robotic blue lion sitting in front of them. "They _are_ everywhere."

"Is this it? Is this the Voltron?" Pidge asked once they were all on their feet.

"It must be," Shiro said.

"This is what's been causing all of this crazy energy out here," Keith added, walking towards the lion. "Looks like there's a force field around it," he noted, staring at the blue hive pattern that seemed to be made from solid light and surrounded the robot in a dome.

"Does anyone else get the feeling this is staring at them?" Lance asked, shuffling from side to side as he walked and staring up at the robot.

Shiro hummed. "No."

"Yeah. The eyes are totally following me."

Keith glanced back at the boy, then up at the robot. _Blue?_

The eyes seemed to shimmer. Keith looked down at his feet and saw Merla staring up at him.

"I wonder how we get through this," he said, turning back to the barrier and placing his hands on it. It didn't hurt, but it also didn't let him past.

"Maybe you just have to knock," Lance joked. He walked up and knocked on the barrier. He jumped back and yelled when the barrier reacted to his touch, brushing a small burst of energy against his hand and sending a pulse across the barrier.

The lion's eyes came to life and the barrier fell. The floor began to glow blue and a burst of images flowed through the humans' minds.

 _Five lions. Yellow. Red. Black. Green. Blue. Flying in tandon. Coming together. A giant warrior robot._

"Whoa," Pidge and Lance gasped.

"Uh, did everyone just see that?" Lance asked.

As the others talked about the vision, Keith's eyes strayed to the four remaining cats. Gold markings. Auburn base. Black fur. Green tinted back.

"Incredible."

The robot leaned down and opened it's mouth, gaining shouts from Pidge and Hunk. The middle portion of its lower jaw lowered like a ramp.

Lance hummed and glanced at the others before chuckling and running inside. "Huh," he said as he came into what seemed to be a cockpit. He smiled and dropped into the seat. "Here we go," he said with a smirk, relaxing. It lasted a second before the seat suddenly shot forwards and he screamed.

The cockpit came to life as the others joined him. Keith fell a little behind as he glanced back at the cats following them. They all seemed a bit uncomfortable, though that didn't stop Merla from brushing up against anything and everything with a purr.

 _Love!_

"Okay, guys, I-I feel the need to point out, just so that we're all, you know, aware. We are in some kind of futuristic alien cat head right now."

Lance looked around until he spotted the four cats towards the back. "Wait, where's Blue?"

"You're just now noticing she disappeared?" Keith asked and Lance glared at him.

His eyes widened and he said, "Whoa, did you guys just hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I think it's talking to me," Lance answered, turning back to the controls.

One of Keith's eyebrows went up at Lance's short attention span that clearly rivaled his own. The other followed when Lance started hitting buttons and the Lion stood up and roared.

"Okay, got it. Now, let's try this!"

The group, baring Lance, screamed as the lion plowed straight through the wall and up into the air. The cats latched onto their humans in an effort to not be tossed around the cockpit and Merla gave a yowl.

 _Please, be careful, love!_

"You are the worst pilot ever!" Keith shouted.

The lion landed and it ran across the ground. "Isn't this awesome?"

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" Hunk groaned, looking green.

"I'm not making it do anything. It's like it's on autopilot."

The lion jumped up, blasting into the air.

"Where are you going?" Keith asked.

The question was more directed towards Blue, or the robot lion Keith was assuming was Blue, but Lance still answered. "I just said it's on autopilot! It says there's an alien ship approaching Earth. I think we're supposed to stop it."

"What did it say, exactly?" Pidge growled.

"Well, it's not like it's saying words. More like feeding ideas into my brain, kind of."

"Well, if this thing is the weapon they're coming for, why don't we just, I don't know, give it to them? Maybe they'll leave us alone. Sorry lion, nothing personal."

All the cats hissed and Pua sunk his claws a little deeper into Hunk's leg.

"You don't understand. These monsters spread like a plague throughout the galaxy, destroying everything in their path. There's no bargaining with them. They won't stop until everything is dead."

At shiro's words, everyone glared at Hunk.

"Oh," Hunk said, looking uncomfortable. "Never mind then."

The lion exited the Earth's atmosphere just in time to see a massive ship warp in ahead of them.

"Holy crow! Is that really an alien ship?" Hunk yelled as the others gaped.

"They found me," Shiro whispered and Ryou nuzzled his human hand.

The ship started firing lasers at them and Pidge shouted, "We've got to get it out of here!"

"Hang on!" Lance took control, piloting the lion up and around the blasts. "Alright. Okay, I think I know what to do."

"Be careful, man. This isn't a simulator!" Pidge shouted at him.

"Well, that's good. I always wreck the simulator," Lance chuckled.

 _We're all going to die!_ Keith groaned in his head.

* * *

"Hello?"

"You know, I'm pretty sure if anyone was here and planned on answering, they would have done so after the fifth time you called," Pidge pointed out.

"Right, sorry."

"Hey guys," Lance whispered, grabbing Shiro's arm and pointing down a still darkened hallway.

They all turned to see a pair of yellow orbs approaching them.

 _Blue!_

"Wah-wah-wah!" Merla called and ran into the hallway. The lights flicked on, revealing Blue prancing towards them. He met Merla with a purr before the two returned to the humans.

"Blue!" Lance shouted. He scooped him up, to Merla's annoyance, and hugged him.

"Where did she come from?" Pidge asked as she, Hunk, and Shiro stared at the cat in bewilderment.

"He," Lance corrected, glaring at the cat who was clawing at his side and nosing Blue.

"He must have managed to get into the lion before we left," Shiro said.

"Seriously?" Keith stared at the others as they agreed with Shiro.

He looked down at Ryou and he swore he could see laughter in his eyes as he stared up at Shiro. The other cats seemed equally amused by their humans.

He suddenly remembered Shiro just laughing off his theory about magic cats. _Right, whatever. Let them figure it out on their own then._

The group continued on after that until they reached a large, round room.

"Where are we?" Lance asked as they all looked around the room.

"It's some kind of control room," Pidge said, staring down at a pedestal.

Suddenly a capsule-like device rose up from the floor, quickly followed by a second. Both appeared to have bodies in them.

"Are these guys… dead?" Hunk asked, hiding behind the pedestal.

One of the pods opened, revealing a woman with elfin features. Including the ears.

"Father," she gasped, falling forwards and Lance swept forward to catch her, causing Blue to dart out of his arms before he could be squished.

The teen blushed then smirked. "Hello."

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"I'm Lance, and you're right here in my arms."

"You're ears."

"Yeah?"

"They're hideous. What's wrong with them?"

Merla let out chirps that sounded far too much like laughter and Blue swatted at her.

"Nothing's wrong with them! They heard exactly what you said about them!"

The mysterious woman grabbed Lance's ear in one hand and his arm in the other and spun him around, pinning him. "Who are you? Where is King Alfor? What are you doing in my castle?"

"A giant blue lion brought us here. That's all we know," Lance shouted, his eyes tearing up.

"How do you have the Blue Lion? What happened to its paladin?" she commanded, releasing Lance. "What are you all doing here? Unless… How long has it been?"

"We don't know what you're talking about. Why don't you tell us who you are? Maybe we can help," Shiro offered.

"I am Princess Allura of Planet Altea. I've got to find out where we are and how long we've been asleep." The princess, apparently, walked over and put her hands on the pedestal, activating it.

"Okay, that's how that works," Pidge noted.

The second pod opened and a man stumbled out. The humans watched as he and Lance displayed their, rather uninspiring, fighting skills.

"Wow, these guys are good," Hunk said and Keith couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.

"It can't be," the princess said, regaining everyone's attention.

"What is it?" the man asked.

"We've been asleep for ten thousand years! Planet Altea and all of the planets in our solar system have been destroyed. Coran, Father is gone. Our entire civilization… Zarkon!"

The cats hissed and Shiro gasped.

"Zarkon?"

"He was the King of the Galra. A vile creature and enemy to all free people."

"I remember now. I was his prisoner."

"He's still alive? Impossible!"

"I can't explain it, but it's true. He's searching for a super weapon called Voltron."

"He's searching for it because he knows it's the only thing that can defeat him, and that's exactly why we must find it before he does."

Keith looked down at Merla and wondered if they already had.

* * *

 **I was gonna have a "cats hate water" joke when they fell into the pool in Blue's cave, but somehow every single breed/species I chose likes water! How even?**


	3. Coming Togeth-purr: Part 1

"King Alfor connected the lions to Allura's life force. She alone is the key to the lions' whereabouts."

"Whoa!" the humans gasped as shimmering blue balls of light appeared around them. Keith chuckled as Merla stood with one of her forepaws on his back to try to swipe at one that floated near her, only for her paw to pass right through the hologram.

She growled and nipped his arm.

"These are coordinates," Pidge noticed. When the orb that had the blue and black lions connected to it floated past, she added, "The Black Lion looks like it's in the same location as the Blue Lion."

"Look at your primitive synapses firing away in their little brain cage," Coran said, leaning over, and the smallest human raised an eyebrow at him.

"Very observant. That's because the Black Lion is in the castle," Allura stated.

"To keep the Black Lion out of Zarkon's hands, King Alfor locked it in the castle. It can only be freed if the other four lions are present," Coran explained.

"As you have found, the lions choose their pilots. It is a mystical bond and cannot be forced. The quintessence of the pilot is mirrored in his lion. Together, they form something greater than science can explain." Allura waved her hand and the Black Lion came over to float in front of Shiro. Keith glanced down at Ryou to see him sitting next to Shiro, his tail brushing up against his human's leg. He stared up at the Black Lion in contentment. "The Black Lion is the decisive head of Voltron. It will take a pilot who is a born leader and in control at all times, someone whose men will follow without hesitation. That is why, Shiro, you will pilot the Black Lion."

Allura waved her hand again and the Green Lion floated towards Pidge. Chip's ears perked up and she stood up from her spot on Pidge's backpack. She put her paws on top of Pidge's head to get a better look at the hologram. "The Green Lion has an inquisitive personality and needs a pilot of intellect and daring. Pidge, you will pilot the Green Lion.

"The Blue Lion -"

"Hold up, let me guess," Lance said, cutting off the Princess. "Takes the most handsome slash best pilot of the bunch?"

Merla chirp-laughed and Blue gave a whining "Mew!" before slumping in his arms. Lance gave a hiss and dropped him, so Keith assumed he had dug his claws into Lance's arm. The Turkish Van came over to sit next to Keith and Merla nuzzled him.

Meanwhile, Allura's eyebrow twitched and she quickly moved on. "The Yellow Lion," she said, her voice nearly a growl as she sent the Yellow Lion towards Hunk, "is caring and kind. Its pilot is one who puts the needs of others above his own. His heart must be mighty. As the leg of Voltron, you will lift the team up and hold them together."

Hunk glanced around at the others before pointing to himself in confusion. Pua purred and nuzzled his leg comfortingly.

Allura formed the Red Lion in her hands. "The Red Lion is temperamental and the most difficult to master. It's faster and more agile than the others," Merla stood up straight, holding her head up with pride, "but also more unstable."

Merla hissed at the Princess.

 _Excuse me?_

"Its pilot needs to be someone who relies more on instincts than skill alone." Keith scratched Merla's head as the Red Lion floated up to him. "Keith, you will fly the Red Lion."

"What? This guy?" Lance asked and both Keith and Merla sent him a glare.

"Unfortunately, I cannot locate the Red Lion's coordinates yet. There must be something wrong with the castle. After 10,000 years, it might need some work."

Merla have a wordless hiss and Keith instantly knew there was something wrong with more than just the ship.

"Don't worry, we'll find it soon. They don't call me _The Coranic_ for nothing. It's because it sounds like mechanic. So... Coranic, mechanic. It's not - It doesn't sound... exactly like it. It's similar."

The Red Lion hologram roared and the five lions all flew towards the center of the room. There was a flash and the robot from the humans' vision was floating over Allura.

"Once all the lions are united, you will form Voltron, the most powerful warrior ever known, the Defender of the Universe."

"Awesome!" Hunk gasped. As the robot hologram began to fade, he added, "Wait. Okay, we're going to be in there and flying lions. Got that part. How do lions turn into legs? Also, is this going to be a long trip? Because I have to pee. Do you people pee?"

"We don't have much time," Shiro said, causing Hunk to frown. "Pidge and I will go after the Green Lion. Lance, you take Hunk and get the yellow one." Keith felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to meet Shiro's eyes. "Keith, you stay here. If you locate that Red Lion, go get it."

Keith nodded, swallowing.

"In the meantime, I'll get the castle's defenses ready. They'll be sorely needed," Allura said.

"I'll ready a pod and load in the coordinates so that you can reach the Green Lion."

* * *

As Lance and Hunk reached the Blue Lion's hanger, Hunk pointed at the two cats following them and said, "Pua, Blue, you two wait here."

The two cats met eyes and then Pua shot off into the hanger.

"Pua!" Hunk said, chasing after him.

"At least my cat knows how to listen!" Lance teased. He turned back to Blue and scratched his head. "Be good, bud."

Blue purred under the attention. He watched his paladin walk into the hanger then his eyes glowed blue and he disappeared.

* * *

"… but I never got to fly the simulator. But hey, I can't be that worse than Lance. He crashed all the time. But what if I get in there and it doesn't respond? What if I get in there and it's too big and my feet don't touch the pedals? What if there aren't even pedals?!"

"You're rambling. Listen... Our commander on the Kerberos Mission is the smartest man I ever met, and he always said, _If you get too worried about what could go wrong, you might miss a chance to do something great._ "

Shiro smiled as the boy finally seemed to relax. He felt Ryou nudge his hand, but ignored him. Both he and Chip were in trouble for sneaking into the pod.

Pidge gasped and Shiro looked up to see the river ending in front of a path that led up to what appeared to be a vine covered temple. They said goodbye to their sloth-like guide and walked up the path. Just as the two reached the temple, Shiro opened his mouth, only to spot something out of the corner of his eye.

"Uh, Pidge."

The boy turned to him and followed his gaze to see Chip glowing emerald like the designs on the path. She met Pidge's eyes, then her own flashed green and she disappeared.

The two humans looked up at each other then turned to the temple.

"You don't think…?"

Shiro shrugged. "One way to find out." He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Go, be great."

Pidge nodded and ran.

As Pidge disappeared up the vines, Shiro found his gaze traveling down to Ryou. He stared back at Shiro with far too intelligent eyes and suddenly everything odd about him made sense.

 _"_ _Is he magic too?"_

 _"_ _I'm serious, Shiro, the cats are magic."_

 _"_ _She calls him Black!"_

The ground shook and Shiro jumped. He looked up to see the vines collapsing, revealing the lion that had been supporting them in place of the temple Shiro had assumed was there.

The Green Lion landed, allowing Shiro and Ryou aboard.

"Shiro!" Pidge said as soon as he came into the cockpit. "It's Chip! I don't know how, but she's- It's- I don't…"

"Pidge," Shiro chuckled. "I get it."

Pidge looked down at Ryou and Shiro followed his gaze. "Is it just… Are all of them… I mean, what are the chances? All five of us- Five cats- Five lions- It can't be a coincidence."

Shiro scratched Ryou's head. "No, probably not. Blue _did_ disappear right before we found the Blue Lion and then he just reappeared after we left."

Pidge smacked his forehead. "Wow, we're blind. His name is even _Blue_! How did we not see that?"

The older male chuckled and shrugged.

* * *

"Oh yeah, sure, just drop me off in an alien planet. That's cool, man. It's only occupied by mean purple aliens that want to kill me, but whatever. Just ignore them and go connect with a big, yellow, mechanical cat. Easy-peasy. Yeah. That all makes a ton of sense to me."

Pua purred comfortingly and nuzzled Hunk as he tried to hotwire the lift. Finally the lift began to move and Hunk sighed in relief. The two looked around as the lift traveled deep into the hole.

"Cool," Hunk said as golden carvings began to appear on the ceiling like they had done on Earth. "Hey, Pua, are you- What the!?"

Hunk had turned to Pua, only to see his fur glowing a brilliant yellow. The lift came to a stop at the bottom and Pua jumped out, prompting Hunk to follow.

"Okay, I'm in a giant hole With a suddenly glowing cat. Now what, Hunk? Huh?" He looked around as more glowing carvings began to appear. Pua stopped in front of a circular one then he turned to Hunk. His eyes flashed yellow, brighter than his usual color, and he was gone. "Whoa." The teen walked up to the wall and ran his hand along it. "How am I going to get through this?" He glanced over his shoulder and spotted a drill.

Well, he was able to hotwire the lift.

Once he was through the wall and standing in front of the Yellow Lion's force field, he almost felt… calm.

"Pua?" he asked running his hand over the barrier. Like the Blue Lion's had done for Lance, energy pulsed out and around the field at Hunk's touch. The Yellow Lion stood up and roared before lowering its mouth to the ground.

Hunk found himself smiling. He reached out and brushed his hand over the robot's lower jaw. "I'm glad your happy, Pua, but we should probably get back to Lance."

Hunk _felt_ Pua purr inside his mind and he opened up for him.

* * *

As the others all left, Coran following to help Pidge and Shiro with the pod, Allura approached Keith.

"While we have a moment, I've been wanting to ask. What are these little creatures you all brought with you? They almost look like mini versions of the lions."

"They are, kind of. See, we have lions on our planet too. Flesh and blood ones, I mean, and their only about this big," Keith said, using his hands to try his best to match the height of the lions he had seen at the zoo when he was eight. "These guys are called house cats - well the other four are at least. Mine, Merla, is a species of, what we call, wild cats, just like Earth lions. They all have a common genetic ancestor, but while wild cats evolved independently, in the wild, house cats began to live with humans and they evolved to better coexist with us."

"And these _house cats_ , are they protectors?"

"Kind of, but mostly they're just pets."

"Pets?"

"Animals humans keep in their home for company and entertainment. Originally because they had some kind of use, but nowadays we just have them because we like them."

"And what function did cats have?"

"Um…" Keith glanced down at the Altean mice. "Actually, it was to keep mice and rats out of our house, so you might actually want to keep an eye on the little guys."

As if to prove his point, Merla focused her gaze on the mice and shifted into a pouncing position. The mice squeaked and fled up to hide in Allura's hair. Merla chirped.

"Play nice," Keith sighed before turning back to Allura.

Allura was frowning. "Why would you want to keep mice out?"

"Earth mice are a bit different than yours. The wild ones are just pests and a lot of the time they carry diseases."

"Oh, I see. You said - Merla? - was a wild cat though. Are wild cats pets as well?"

"Normally, no. Merla's not really a pet though. We kind of grew up together. She's been with me as long as I can remember. It's more like you and the mice really."

"Intriguing."

"The paladins are ready," Coran declared, coming back into the room.

Keith sat down out of the way as Allura stepped back up onto her platform. She held out her hands and two - Keith was going to call them control panels for lack of a better term - rose up. Coran took his place at a console a short ways away and a holoscreen appeared before him. Allura put her hands on the control panels and a screen appeared over the glass windows showing the Blue Lion and the pod. Wormholes appeared before each.

"We can only keep the wormholes that lead to the other lions open for two of your Earth hours, so you'll have to be quick about your work. The good news is that according to my readings, both planets are relatively peaceful. So, if you do get stuck, they could be relaxing places to live out the rest of your lives. Well, enjoy the trip!"

Keith's eyes widened as the others began protesting before disappearing into the wormholes. "That was a joke, right?"

"Probably," Coran said.

"Coran, I'll take care of the wormholes. Start working on getting the castle fixed. We're going to need the defenses and we have to find the Red Lion."

"Right away, Princess."

Keith zoned out, watching Merla prowl around the room. His hand idly slipped inside one of the pockets on his waist pack and pulled out a chain to fidget with until Pidge and Shiro returned, the Green Lion carrying the pod they had taken.

"Shiro and Pidge are back. Coran, how are you doing?" Allura asked.

"We're at around seventy-five percent, but there's still nothing on the Red Lion."

A message flashed on the large screen and Allura opened up a communication channel with Lance and Hunk, who must have gotten ahold of the Yellow Lion.

As she talked to them, Keith looked down at Merla. "Can you give them a hand?"

She gave a hiss and pressed up against him, but headed towards Coran as soon as Allura closed the channel.

"Hey, get down from there," Coran huffed, trying to shoo her away when she jumped up onto his consol.

The cat gave him a rebellious look and pressed her paw against the screen. Her eyes glowed red, then so did the screen. The hologram coordinates from before filled the space before focusing on the planet they were on.

Keith jumped to his feet as a ship similar to the one that has chased them away from Earth appeared over the planet, a line connecting it to the Red Lion. "That's not good."

"The Galra have the Red Lion," Allura gasped.

"The ship looks close. I thought you said we'd have days."

"It seems my estimates were a bit off," Coran chuckled nervously.

 _Nice job, weird man!_

Merla gave him a snarl before jumping down to return to Keith. As Keith scratched her ears, Allura stared at the cat.

"How did it do that?"

"The cats are the lions!" Pidge shouted as she and Shiro came into the room, Ryou and Chip just behind. "I-I don't know how, but it's true!"

"You too?" Hunk asked as he, Lance, Blue, and Pua ran in.

"What are you all on about?" Lance asked.

"You still haven't figured it out? You've piloted Blue twice now," Keith snorted and Merla gave a "Wrrrrrrrah" of agreement from her spot cuddled up against Blue.

 _You're paladin is an idiot, love._

"How long have you known?" Pidge asked.

"The cats are the same colors as the lions," Keith pointed out. "Then Blue magically appeared in space with us."

"That is a very good point," Hunk chuckled.

"I'm sorry, are you all saying your cats are connected to the lions?" Allura interjected, looking confused.

"More like the cats are the lions in cat form," Pidge tried to elaborate.

"Impossible! The Blue, Yellow, and Green Lions are all in their hangars where you left them," Allura said, bringing up the security feed to double check.

"I'm guessing something like this hasn't happened before?" Shiro asked.

"No, never."

"The lions have also never been without paladins for so long before," Coran pointed out. He dropped to the floor and began poking Ryou, who just stared at him, unimpressed. "Perhaps they managed to separate their quintessence from their metallic bodies to create these small organic-like forms so as to track down new paladins themselves! Incredible! That's good news for the Red Lion, though! If its quintessence is down here then there's no way any of the Galra on the ship orbiting above us have managed to gain access to it!"

"You found the Red Lion! Wait, Galra ship?" Lance said, excited at first before deflating.


	4. Interlude: Mother of Cats, Part 1

Red was annoyed. No, more than annoyed, she was _bored_!

She'd just spent who cares how long sitting on that molten little excuse for a moon Alfor had left her on - and oh boy would she have words with him if she ever saw him again. Words and flames! - with nothing to do but watch the lava flows. And now Black's Reject had uprooted her just to parade his little worshippers in front of her and demand she pick one.

Yeah, that wasn't happening. As if any of those bootlickers could ever be her paladin!

It had been amusing at first.

She scoffed at the ones that strutted in already "knowing" who she'd picked, then laughed when they threw a fit when she didn't even glance their way. She growled at the ones who thought they could force their way in, wished to blast them off the face of the universe, and watched with smug satisfaction as they left with their tails between their legs, sometimes literally. She watched with pity the ones who stumbled in already knowing she wouldn't choose them and fearing what would happen to them as a result. Reject was only getting angrier with every not-to-be paladin.

As time passed though, the amusement wore off. It was the same thing, over and over, with nothing ever changing.

At least the lava flows shifted over time. The Galra, not so much.

Red was bored and as Black always said, that was a scary thing to behold.

She started… experimenting.

Her body had been locked down by Alfor, but not her energy. She started pushing her quintessence out of her body, around her then away. Testing the limits.

At first she just watched, letting her invisible cloud of energy float around the variety of ships and stations and planets she ended up on like a ghost. When that grew boring as well, she tried constricting her energy until it became something visible, tangible. She molded the cluster into the form of a vicx, a creature similar looking to herself, but the size of an Altean space mouse and with eight legs. With this new form she was free to scamper through the vents of her current carrier ship.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

A barbed tail stood high in the air as it's owner watched the two Galra argue.

"This is the fifth time, Mirax!"

"I'm telling you, Commander, we've got pests! Miros or Kalvi! I've heard them, clattering through the vents!"

"So you keep saying. And yet every time I call in the exterminators, they find nothing. It's starting to look less like pests and more like sabotage."

"C-Commander I swear-"

"You know, the guys down in engineering think it's a ghost." The two Galra looked down at the third, who'd been fixing the chewed through wires without a word up until that point. Finished with his work, he closed the console and turned to the two. "Small things go missing only to turn up half-way across the ship in some impossible place. Locked rooms end up trashed with no evidence of anyone entering. Moans and screams coming from the walls. That's what all the rumors are at least. Never seen any of it myself."

"Ghosts? Ridiculous! It's obviously pests!"

"I don't care what it is! It needs to either stop or be kept quiet! We drop off our special cargo on Vivno XL next quintant and I will not be made a fool of!"

Red chittered and stretched before leaving. So, she was going planetside. That could be interesting. If she was lucky, she could find an open area to try forming a larger species. A werevo maybe? Ooh, or a moasan!

The vicx returned to her hanger and remerged with her metallic body to rest.

Once they'd arrived on Vivno XL, Red slipped away in energy form until she reached the forest outside. She constricted her energy and morphed it into the shape of a moasan. The moasan was another creature that resembled herself, though this one was twice the height of the average Galra with four curling horns and long fur that fell around her body like a curtain.

Red put her new form to work, chasing the local wildlife around the forest and exploring the area. It was actually quite interesting. She and the other lions had never had the chance to just explore before. Red wanted to see everything!

* * *

She had been on the planet for a few quintants and was halfway across the world from her metallic form when she felt something.

The moasan looked up from terrorizing a medium sized creature she didn't know the name of - which quickly made use of her distraction and fled - at the odd feeling. It was weirdly familiar, yet completely foreign. It felt like… home, but at the same time not.

She followed the feeling until she reached one of the Galran outposts on the planet, a different one than where she was housed. She let her form shrink back into the form of a vicx and entered the base undetected.

The feeling eventually led her to a female Galra working in communications. She briefly wondered if she was meant to be Red's paladin before brushing the idea off. The woman was too calculating and mindful. She'd be a far better match for green. Or maybe her sweet Blue. The woman did have that open feel they liked in their paladins.

By the Anodites, Red missed them.

Curious, Red stuck around the base to watch the woman. That was how Red figured out the Blade of Marmora was still sneaking around. Unfortunately she wasn't the only one to realize that not all the calls the woman was making were empire approved.

A feeling of dread filled her as Red watched the woman get cornered by a pair of soldiers and a handful of sentinels from a vent. This woman… This woman was important for some reason. She could not be captured.

Red dropped out of the vent and shifted her form to that of a creature she'd seen on the planet - another creature that matched her shape, though this one had scales instead of fur, foot long fangs that hung from her upper jaw, and no tail. She latched onto one of the sentinels with her fangs and claws, bringing it down on another.

The distraction allowed the woman to draw her own blade and together they took down her assailants. Then they fled through the halls to the hanger. The woman jumped into a pod then smiled back at Red. "Thank you, prycoso."

Red debated with herself as the woman got ready for launch before jumping inside just as the doors were closing. The woman waited until they'd left the atmosphere before turning to Red. "What are you doing here?"

Walking over, Red chirped and nuzzled up to the woman. She let her form shift into that of a Galra abisno, which was rather similar to the creature she'd been before, though fluffy with a long bushy tail.

The woman's eyes widened. "What are you?"

Red purred and set her head on the woman's lap.

The woman sighed and scratched behind her ears. "Either way, thank you. I couldn't have gotten out of there without you."

* * *

Red lost track of time after that. It was so bizarre being stuck in such a tiny area. The ships she was always carried in were huge in order to support her own size. This ship? If she was in her metallic form she probably could have picked it up in her mouth like her mother used to do to her when she was annoying Green. She was pretty sure her own cockpit was bigger than the one she was currently curled up at the back of.

A buzzing filled the room and Red looked up in time to see a video call open on a holoscreen. Red was immediately on guard, but relaxed when the woman smiled at the Galra man.

"Thace!"

"Liva! Are you alright? What happened?"

"I was discovered, but I managed to get away unharmed. I snuck out of Galra territory so I'm going to set down and hide out until I can be sure I'm not being followed."

"Should I inform headquarters you'll be returning as soon as you deem it safe?" he asked in that voice Black always used when the question was _secretly_ a command.

"Of course, I'll see you soon."

The man frowned and looked away. "Unfortunately I won't be here to greet you."

The woman looked confused before her face went carefully blank. "You got the job."

"I leave in five quintants."

"I wish I could see you off."

"It's too dangerous, for both you and the Blade."

"I'll miss you."

"And I you," the man said, holding up his hand. A sound came from off screen and he glanced away. "I've got to go."

"Alright. I won't be able to risk another call until I can return."

"And I won't be able to risk one until my position is stable."

"Be safe."

"You too."

Red slipped into the cargo hold to give the two privacy. She sniffed around the almost empty area until she found an emergency kit with food rations, water, and medical supplies. She grabbed a ration pack and water pouch with her tail and walked back over to the cockpit door. She listened at the door, then let herself in when she was met by silence.

"There you are," the woman chuckled when she entered. "I was wondering where you disappeared to."

The abisno purred and nosed the woman's - The man had called her Liva, hadn't he? - hand. She dropped the pack and pouch on Liva's lap before curling up at her feet.

"Oh, thank you." Liva took a quick drink from the pouch before opening up the rations. She split it in half before holding out half to Red, which Red accepted gratefully.

Her form didn't technically need to eat, but given that she didn't know when she'd be able to return to her metallic form, the energy from the food would help her maintain the strength needed to stay tangible.

She was laying on the floor at Liva's feet, thinking over the new experience of chewing and swallowing, when she felt it. She was standing immediately, paws up on the dash to look out the windows.

"Is something wrong?" Liva asked.

Eyes darting about, Red took in their surroundings. They were just passing a red planet that seemed empty and ahead she could see a planet that was blue with speckles of green, brown, and white and had a simple little moon orbiting it.

Blue and white.

 _Blue!_

"Nnnrrr!"

"What's wrong?" Luca asked. She spotted the planet and with a few gestures a holoscreen brought up a closer image of it.

Red purred and pawed at the screen.

"You wanna go there?"

She turned to the woman.

Liva turned back to the holoscreen. "Blue and green, that usually means plenty of water and plant life. Plant life will mean food. We'll have to watch out for any native sapient species, but otherwise it should make a good hiding spot. Alright then, prepare for landing."

* * *

Red darted about the clearing they'd landed in in a frenzy.

Blue was here! She found Blue! They were somewhere on this planet with her!

How would she find them?

She froze, still except for her tail flicking back and forth.

Her senses told her that her love was on this planet, but she couldn't get any more precise in this form. She tried calling out through the connection her pride shared, but got nothing in return.

She was so close, and yet they were still so far away.

"What's wrong, prycoso?"

Red turned to see Liva coming out of the pod. She ran over and pressed against her legs.

Liva scratched behind her ears and said, "I'm going to go look around the area. Do you want to come along?"

"Vvvvveeew," Red called, nuzzling Liva one last time before hopping over to climb up the pod. She sat down at the top, ears at attention and tail slowly shifting back and forth.

"Alright then, you guard the ship. I'll be back."

Red listened to Liva wander off to the ship's right. She waited up on the ship for a varga before jumping down. A sniff of the air and she was wondering off a little forwards of the ship's left towards the scent of water. She ran through the trees until she reached a curling river. She crouched down and approached slowly, eyeing the trio of scaled creatures swimming in circles.

 _Closer… closer…_

Red pounced.

One creature slipped away, but the other two were caught firmly in Red's mouth. Boastful, the abisno strutted back through the forest with her prize.

"Ihsakat, luferac eb."

Red froze, then ducked under a bush. She set her prey down and peeked out.

There were two creatures stomping through the forest. They almost looked like Alteans, though with small, rounded ears, no markings, and dull hair and eyes. Both had black hair while the smaller of the two had dark grey eyes and the taller had brown.

The smaller turned to the other and shouted something in it's native tongue - "Orb, ma I!" - as it waved some sort of device around.

This wasn't good. There was no telling what these creatures would do if they found Liva.

Red glanced around before climbing into a tree as quietly as she could. She slipped from tree to tree until she was between the pod and the creatures. She made sure she was hidden from their sight as she dropped to the ground then let out a long, low growl. Hopefully these creatures had a predator that had a similar call.

Both creatures stiffened at the sound and the smaller went to the bigger's side. "Taht saw tahw?"

"Ereh fo tuo teg s'tel, no emoc. Noil niatnuom a ekil dednuos."

"T-thgir."

The larger creature put his hand on the smaller's shoulder, leading it away. She watched the two go, listening to their footsteps when they were out of sight until she was sure they were gone. Relaxing, she slipped out of her hiding spot to retrieve her prey.

"Ti dneps ot yaw doog a gnidnif si/Noitareneg ruo rof melborp launna eht os!/Ti dne ot tsuj gnola semoc loohcs dna/Noitacav remmus fo syad ruof dna derdnuh eno s'ereht!"

Red yowled and spun towards the loud noise, ready to fight. However, she saw nothing.

"Rewot Leffie eht pu gnibmilc ro/Ymmum a gnithgif ro/Tekcor a gnidliub…/Ebyam ekil!"

Red followed the sound until she saw the device the smaller creature had been holding. It must have dropped it when she startled them.

As she looked closer, it almost seemed like some sort of primitive holoscreen. She watched it flash a picture of another of the creatures - this one with dark skin, long brown hair, and green eyes - as it continued to make noise before it finally fell silent and went black. She waited a moment to see if it would do anything else, then picked it up with her tail and returned to gathering her prey.

Liva had already returned when she got to the pod and looked relieved when Red walked up. "You shouldn't wander off, prycoso."

Red just huffed and dropped her prey at Liva's feet. Honestly, as if she couldn't take care of herself.

"Oh," Liva exclaimed, kneeling down to grab the two creatures. She held them up to look them over. "Are these edible?"

Staring at the woman, Red cocked her head to the side. How was she supposed to know what was edible for Galra on a foreign planet?

"Right, I'll have to scan it to check. I caught a couple small terrestrial animals, but they read as inedible without proper processing. Thankfully there seems to be a surplus of edible vegetation."

Red's nose scrunched up. Weren't plants supposed to taste gross?

"Yeah, I'd prefer not to have to live off plants either."

Purring, Red nosed her leg, then held out the device.

"What's this?" Liva took the device and looked it over. "Where did you get this?"

The abisno glanced off back the way she'd come from.

"Right." Liva sat down and tapped randomly at the device's screen and buttons, trying to get it to react, until she hit the circular button and the screen lit up. Red peaked over her shoulder to see a picture of the two creatures from before taking up the screen. "Oh!"

* * *

Akira Kogane looked up when he heard the doorbell ring. "Takashi!"

No response.

Sighing, Akira set down the dish he was washing and dried his hands. He walked over and opened the door with a, "Hello there."

Expecting one of his brother's friends, his eyes widened when instead he was met with the sight of a tall, lean woman with waist-length black hair and brilliant violet eyes. "Oh, uh, hello? How may I help you?"

The woman gave an awkward smile and brushed her hair out of her face. "Hello," she said with a strong accent Akira didn't recognize. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I found this while out hiking and the address led to this home."

He took the phone she held out and smiled when the screen lit up. "Thank heavens. My brother lost this while we were out and I was worried I'd have to get him a new one. Thank you much, Ms.?"

"Mun, Bora Mun. Glad I could help."

"I'm Akira Kogane, but just Akira, please. Are you new to the area?"

"Yes, I only got here a month ago."

"Work or pleasure?"

"Pleasure, I suppose. I just needed to get away from where I was before."

"Well, I hope you're happy here, Ms. Mun."

"Thank you, Akira. And you can call me Liva."

"Liva?"

"It's a nickname, of sorts."

"Well, thanks again, Liva. I suppose I'll see you around."

"Yeah."

* * *

Liva sighed as she made it back to the pod.

"Mmmmrrrrrr."

She smiled and looked up to she Romelle lying in one of the seats. At least, she thought it was Romelle. "I see you found a new form."

Romelle purred and pointed her nose towards the holoscreen that was connected to the planet's - Earth's - information database - the internet. On the screen was the mountain lion, the earth creature that Romelle had exactly matched, though its fur was tan while her's was a soft red color.

"Now I guess we both fit in, don't we?" she asked, reaching up to her ear-com. She pressed a button on the side. Her body flickered and she once more looked like her Galra self. "For the best. The more we fit in, the less the locals will question. Neither of us are getting off the planet until those scouts move from the edge of the galaxy."

The mountain lion hissed and rolled over.

"In fact, I've been thinking it might be for the best that we get a more permanent home now that we know more about human culture.

Romelle fell off the seat with a yelp.

Liva laughed. "I know, but we don't know how long we'll be stuck here. It's been over twenty quintants. A human home will help us keep hidden, both from the humans and if the Galra come looking."

After jumping back onto the seat, Romelle gave a gurgling growl and slumped over.

* * *

"Liva?"

Liva looked up and smiled as she saw a familiar face on the other side of the counter. "Akira, hello. It's nice to see you again."

"Likewise. I didn't know you worked here."

"I just started this week. Oh, who's this?"

The man helped a small boy up onto a barstool before sitting down next to him. "This is my brother, Takashi."

"Hello," the boy said with a wide smile.

"Hi, there." She set a pair of menus in front of them and asked, "Can I get you two anything?"

"A milkshake!" Takashi cheered.

"We're supposed to be getting breakfast."

Takashi pouted and slumped onto the counter.

"Takashi," Akira warned.

Liva chuckled. "How about a chocolate milk instead?"

Takashi turned to his brother.

"Oh, alright."

"Yes!"

Both adults laughed and Liva grabbed the milk from a mini fridge behind the counter. "One for you as well, Akira?"

"Just coffee, thanks."

"So where are you two headed?"

"The summer carnival starts today! Akira promised to take me on all the rides!"

"Really? I've never been to one of those before."

"Never?" Takashi gasped and Liva briefly wondered if she said the wrong thing. Did most humans go to carnivals? Akira didn't look too shaken though, so maybe she was okay. "Why not? They're great! There's food and rides and games where you can win giant stuffed animals! You should come with us!"

Well, it did sound intriguing, and she was curious to know what _rides_ and _stuffed animals_ were. "I don't get off for a couple hours still."

"You can meet us after, right bro? Then we could show you around! It'll be great! Say you'll come!"

"Takashi, be nice. She doesn't have to come if she doesn't want to."

"I wouldn't want to intrude," she said, worried Akira didn't want her to come. She could always go on her own later, but it would be nice to have a guide.

"Oh, no, it's no problem," Akira said, looking surprised, though sincere.

"So will you meet us after you get done?"

Liva smiled and three hours later she was wandering onto the fairground in her new sundress.

"Liva!" The Glara grinned as Takashi came running up. "You're here!"

"I said I would be," Liva chuckled and waved at Akira, who was walking towards them at a more sedate pace.

"Come on, you have to come on the ferris wheel with me!"


	5. Coming Togeth-purr: Part 2

Last time on Roar:

 _"That's good news for the Red Lion, though! If its quintessence is down here then there's no way any of the Galra on the ship orbiting above us have managed to gain access to it!"_

 _"You found the Red Lion! Wait, Galra ship?" Lance said, excited at first before deflating._

* * *

"Allura just located it. There's a bit of good news and bad news. The good news is, the Red Lion's nearby. The bad news is, it's on board that Galra ship now orbiting Arus. But wait, good news again! We're Arus!"

"They're here already?"

"Yes. Guess my calculations were a bit off. Finger counting is - it's more of an art than a science. Hmm?"

The group looked up as the screen behind Coran started flickering. Suddenly the screen was taken up by a purple alien with a robotic eye and giant bat-like ears.

"Princess Allura, this is Commander Sendak of the Galra Empire," he said. "I come on behalf of Emperor Zarkon, Lord of the Known Universe. I am here to confiscate the lions. Turn them over to me, or I will destroy your planet." The screen shut off immediately after his proclamation.

"All right, let's not panic," Shiro said.

"Not panic?" Hunk said, very clearly beginning to panic. "Th-the scary purple alien thing is driving his battleship toward us. We only have four lions."

"Technically, only three working lions," Pidge added.

"That's right. Thank you, Pidge." Hunk patted her shoulder. "Three working lions and a castle that's, like, 10,000 years old."

"Actually, it's 10,600 years old. You see, it was built by my grandfather-"

Hunk cut him off with a finger to the mouth. "Thanks, Coran. Thank you for that. See? Now is the perfect time to panic!"

"Wait! This castle has a particle barrier we can activate,"Allura pointed out.

"Girl, you've already activated my par-"

"Lance!" Shiro warned, sending the teen an unimpressed look.

"The particle barrier won't hold Sendak's ion cannon forever," Coran noted, bringing up an overview of the ship that was approaching them. He crossed his arms and added, "The Galra technology must have advanced since we fought them last."

"Panic now?"

"No. We've just got to figure out our plan of action. And figure it out quickly."

"I say we pop through a wormhole and live to fight another day," Lance offered.

"I second that. Yes. I mean, we tried to find all the lions, right? We gave it the old college try. Couldn't do it. We only have three. We can't form Voltron. I guess we could form a snake. Or a worm! To go through that hole, Lance, that you were talking about."

"Then, it's settled. Allura, you ride with me. One of you take the old guy."

"We can't just abandon Arus. The Galra will keep destroying planets and capturing prisoners until we stop them," Pidge argued.

"Okay. If we run, then maybe Sendak will follow us and leave this planet alone, like when we left Earth. We form the snake-worm thingamajig and we-" Hunk hissed while making a snake motion, "- out of here."

"Sendak could destroy the planet then come after us anyway. Besides, we can't just abandon the Red and Black Lions," Keith countered and Merla growled in agreement. "Staying is our only option."

"Here's an option: shut your quiznak," Lance said with a mouth-zip gesture. Coran, Allura, and Pua gave him appalled expressions. Blue whined and flopped to the ground, while Ryou and Chip just huffed. Merla began chirp-laughing and buried her face in Keith's side.

"I don't think you're using that word correctly."

"What do you know, Mullet?"

"We're staying."

"Leaving!"

"Staying!" Pidge shouted.

"Snake!" Hunk joined.

"Guys, stop!" Shiro command and the teens pulled apart from where they'd been standing over one another. "Princess Allura, these are your lions. You've dealt with the Galra Empire before. You know what we're facing better than any of us. What do you think is the best course of action?"

"I... I-I don't know." The princess frowned and stared at the ground.

"Perhaps your father can help," Coran offered softly.

"My father?"

* * *

"You'll need to retrieve the Red Lion from Sendak's ship."

The group was looking over the Galra ship overview again as they planned, already geared up.

"That's a pretty big ship. How are we gonna know where the Red Lion is?" Keith asked.

"Well it's not a matter of _we_. It's a matter of _you_."

"Pidge is right. Once we get you in, you'll be able to feel its presence and like track it down."

"Yeah. You know how you felt that crazy energy while we were in the desert?"

"Yeah. You made fun of me for that."

"And I'm proud of that, but turns out it's exactly like that mumbo-jumbo."

"Keith, remember, the Red Lion is extremely temperamental. You'll have to earn its respect. Although, that might not be hard, all things considered." Allura sent a look to the cats and Merla chirped.

 _He's my cub. I'll be the judge of that._

Keith sent her a worried look and Shiro set his hand on his shoulder.

"All right, here's our plan of attack," the oldest paladin declared, stepping forward. He, Coran, and Allura had already come up with a plan while the teens had been getting used to their bayards. "The Galra Empire knows about the Blue and Yellow Lion, but they don't know we have the Green Lion, too. Hunk, Lance, you'll act as a decoy by pretending to give yourselves up."

"Wait, what?"

"While Sendak is distracted, Keith, Pidge, and I will sneak onto the ship in the Green Lion. Keith and I will find the Red Lion while Pidge guards our exit.

"Hunk, Lance, find some way to take down that ion cannon."

"And how exactly do we do that?" Hunk questioned.

"You're going to be piloting a giant robot lion. How hard can it be?" Pidge said.

"Right," Hunk said, not looking convinced.

Lance gestured back to the cats. "What about them?"

"Merla will have to come with us, but Chip, Blue, and Pua are going to be in their lions and Ryou can stay he-"

Ryou hissed and walked over to press against Shiro's side. He gave Shiro an authoritative look.

"I don't think he's staying behind, Shiro," Keith said.

"This mission's going to be too dangerous for a cat," Shiro pointed out.

Keith glanced at Merla. "He's got a point."

 _I can take care of myself._

She snorted, but stood up and stretched. He body began to glow, then shift. When the glow faded, there was a red cheetah standing in her place. Merla shook herself and sent an imperious look at Shiro.

Everyone except the cats and Keith gave her a shocked expression.

"Well, that's new," Shiro muttered.

"Not really." Keith shrugged.

"Can you do that?" Lance asked, looking at Blue.

She tilted her head to the side, then closed her eyes. It took a bit longer than Merla, but her form was soon replaced by that of a white tiger with blue-black stripes. Merla immediately came over to nuzzle the much larger cat.

The other cats seemed to take that as their cue as each shifted form. Pua became a simple yellow lion, Ryou became a pure black liger, and Chip became a silver-green leopard.

"Well, if we needed any more proof that our cats aren't normal," Pidge said as Chip nudged her hip, nearly knocking her off her feet.

"Magic cats," Shiro sighed with his face in his hand.

* * *

"Don't chew on it," Keith whispered for the fifth time as the Green Lion locked onto the underside of the Galra ship.

 _Should have shifted into something that can survive a vacuum._

Merla growled, but stopped chewing on the armor of the suit Coran had provided for her. Ryou, in a matching set, huffed and nosed at her reprimadedly.

Keith still wasn't sure why the Alteans had armor that fit wild cats, but he assumed it must have used the same kind of tech that allowed the paladin armor to fit all of them perfectly. That would explain why the armor around Merla's paws had claws while Ryou's didn't. Would his have some if he flexed his own out?

"Alright, let's move," Shiro ordered once they were secure, snapping Keith out of his thoughts, and the five moved into Green's mouth. Once their masks were on, Pidge had Green open up and they jetpacked to the ship's hull. Pidge used their spade-like katar to cut an opening for them to enter through and they floated in.

"Pidge, what's your ETA?" Lance's voice called through their communicator's just as they landed inside.

"We're in," Pidge replied as they landed next to Keith and Shiro. They jumped a second later when Chip appeared next to them in a flash. "Woah, I didn't know you were coming along."

She gave a soft, rumbling growl and nuzzled them.

 _Why doesn't Green have to wear armor!?_

Merla growled and shoved Keith.

Keith rolled his eyes and patted her head.

 _Don't patronize me!_

She snapped at his hand and flicked her tail.

"Then stop acting like a baby."

"What?" Pidge asked and they and Shiro turned to him.

"Merla's upset about having to wear the armor."

"It's for the best," Shiro said as the group started down a hallway. "The armor will protect her until we can get to the Red Lion."

Merla huffed and took lead. When they reached a corner she peeked around to make sure it was clear. Pidge and Chip stayed behind as the others turned the corner. Keith, Merla, and Ryou only got a few steps before Shiro let out a groan.

"I've been here before," he panted and the others walked back over to him. "After I was taken by the Galra cruiser off Kerberos, they brought us here."

"So, that means your other crewmembers, they might be held captive here. We-We've got to rescue them."

"Pidge, we don't have time. We have to get the Red Lion and get back to Arus."

"But we can't just leave prisoners here!" Pidge argued.

"Look, no one understands that more than me, but, in war, we have to make hard choices. Now, let's get moving."

"No!" Pidge shouted. When Keith and Shiro turned back to them, they looked down at the floor. "Commander Holt is my father. He and my brother were the ones on the Kerberos Mission with you."

"Commander Holt is your father?" Shiro asked and Keith's eyes grew soft. That's why they looked familiar. They were like a younger Matt.

Didn't he have a sister though?

Oh.

"Yes. I've been searching everywhere for him and my brother. And I'm not going to give up looking when I'm this close. I won't!"

"I'm coming with you."

Keith blinked. "What?"

"I remember where the prisoners are held. Keith, you and Merla go find the Red Lion."

"By ourselves?" Shiro had to be kidding, right?

"Minor change of plans. You'll be fine. Just remember, patience yields focus. So-" Shiro cut off as a door opened up down the hallway they'd come from. "Run!"

The group split up with Shiro, Ryou, Pidge, and Chip running one way and Keith and Merla the other.

Keith ran until he reached a fork in the hallway. Panting, he questioned, "Great. Now, which way?"

He stared up at the symbol etched into the wall and paused. There was something… familiar about it.

Footsteps came from one of the hallways and Keith and Merla fled down the other. They kept taking twists and turns, Keith getting more and more annoyed the longer he ran without finding anything.

"You've got to be kidding me!" he growled when he came to the first fork again. Or was it? He didn't even know. All the hallways looked exactly the same. "A little help here?" he barked at Merla.

The cheetah eyed him for a moment, her eyes distant and her tail flicking. Finally, she met his gaze.

Her body glowed red, then so did her eyes.

She was gone.

"Merla!" he shouted. He leaned up against the wall and panted heavily. _Now what?_

He thought back to what the others had said, but it didn't make sense. He didn't feel anything right now. Sighing he closed his eyes. "Patience yields focus." He tried to relax, to calm himself. Shiro always said his temper was a detriment. He took a deep breath and focused.

 _Keith._

"Gotcha."

Keith raced down the hallways. Violet, green, violet, door. Keith glanced around the doorway until he saw a panel with a handprint on it. He set his hand on it and the door slid open. He smiled when he saw the Red Lion suspended in a hanger, contained in a red hive patterned sphere.

He ran up to it and said, "Bingo. Let's get out of here." He placed his hand on the sphere and frowned when nothing happened. "Open up." Nothing. "It's me. Keith. Y-your cub." Was something wrong with her? Why wasn't anything happening? "It's me! Keith, your - I am your paladin!" He knocked on the sphere like Lance had, but still nothing.

Keith ducked as a barrage of laser fire flew past his head. He summoned his shield and shouted, "I'm bonding with you! Merla! Hey! Come on! We're connected!" He grunted as the lasers continued to pelt his shield. Something had to be wrong. Why wasn't Merla responding?

Had he done something wrong?

Keith shoved the thought down and summoned his bayard. Whatever was happening, one thing was clear.

"You're not getting this lion!" he growled as he ran at the Galra that were attacking him. He took down one, then another, before a blast caught his chest and knocked him back. He glanced around before he saw the controls for the hanger. He activated his mask and slammed his hands on a large button. Thankfully it did exactly as he hoped and the hanger doors slid open. The room quickly lost pressure, sucking the Galra out into the void.

Keith tried to keep ahold of the controls, but pieces of debris slammed into him and made him lose his grip. His eyes darted about as he toppled into space, trying to find some way to fix the situation. He gasped as his spinning brought him face to face with a giant metallic red lion who quickly swallowed him up. He laughed as he was deposited into a chair and felt Merla's purr echo through his mind.

Only she would feel the need to test him.

"Good kitty," he said as the chair slid into the cockpit. "Let's roll."

* * *

With Ryou at his side, Shiro stood in front of the massive doors to the Black Lion's hanger. Behind him, he heard each of the other lions light up as they connected to the castle. The door to the hanger began to glow and Shiro let out a shaky breath. He glanced towards Ryou to see the liger staring back at him.

They held one another's gaze before Ryou bowed his head. In a flash of purple, he was gone and the door rose up to reveal a lion larger than all the others.

* * *

 **End Part 1**


	6. Stop Lion Around

**Cat of a Different Color**

 **Part 2: We Are One**

Now that all the lions have been found, the team are faced with new challenges and changes. While the paladins and their cats learn how to work together, Allura and Coran prepare the castle to take their fight to the stars. Until then, they get to meet new friends and defend against an old enemy.

* * *

 _BZZZZZZT! BZZZZZZT! BZZZZZZT! BZZZZZZT!_

Hunk screamed and flailed, toppling off his bed, dragging Pua with him.

"Murrrrrrff," the ragdoll huffed when Hunk landed on him. He squirmed away as Hunk stood up to try to run out the door, only to trip over his blanket.

* * *

 _"Everybody up! Zarkon's attacking!"_

Ryou's ears flicked and he and Shiro looked up at Allura's commanding voice. Hissing, he stood up before jumping off Shiro's back and hurrying out the door. Shiro got to his feet from his pushup position, quickly following the Maine coon.

* * *

Blue let out a soft snore as she draped a foreleg over her paladin, tucking him farther under her chin.

* * *

 _"The Castle's about to be destroyed!"_

Keith glanced up, sheathing his dagger. He rolled off his bed and grabbed his jacket. "Come on, Merla," he called as he ran out the door.

Merla moaned and rolled over.

 _Sh. Sleeping._

"Merla!"

 _Fine! I'm coming!_

* * *

 _"Go, go, go! We need Voltron now!"_

Pidge jerked upright and blinked. Her movements caused the laptop on Pidge's lap to fall onto the snout of the leopard she'd been lying against. When Allura's words finally registered, the two scrambled to their feet and ran out, Rover flying after them.

* * *

"I guess this isn't an actual attack."

"And it's a good thing it wasn't because it took you- Coran?"

"Seventy-five degrees. Oh, sorry, no, this is a meat thermometer."

"However long it was, it was too long. You must always be ready to do battle with Zarkon. Look at you! Only Shiro is in uniform. Keith, Pidge, Hunk, where are your bayards? Black, Yellow, Why are you in your smaller forms? And where is Lance?"

The door to the bridge slid open and Lance strolled in with a yawning tiger behind him. "Good morning, everybody. What's going on?"

"Coran and I have been up for hours getting the Castle back in order. We had to run a test on the alarms, and we decided to test you as well. Guess which one failed."

"Hey! You got to sleep for 10,000 years, man. Monday night, I was on Earth. Now, I've flown through space, found out my cat is actually a giant lion robot in disguise, fought some evil alien named Zarkon, eaten goo in some weird castle. That's a lot to process in, uh... I-I don't know. What day is today?"

"It's the third quintant of the Spicolian movement. Hump day!"

"It's a lot to process."

"You must understand the stakes of our mission. Over the last 10,000 years, the Castle picked up distress beacons from the following locations." Allura brought up the star map and with a few clicks many red and orange dots began to cover the map. "So, we have to assume that Zarkon has conquered almost the entire known universe." She waved her hand, bringing the focus to the edge of the red area where a familiar spiral galaxy could be seen. "Earth is here. An attack on your planet is inevitable."

"Oh, no."

"Exactly. Our mission is to free all those planets." Allura let the map fade away. "Coran and I are getting the Castle ready to leave Arus. During that time, you have to learn to form Voltron, so we can begin fighting Zarkon."

"The Princess is right. Let's get to our lions and start training."

"Wait," Pidge interrupted. "But I want to talk to the prisoners we rescued from the Galra ship."

"Ah, negative, Number Five!" Coran said, and the group looked over to see him leaning down next to her, holding out his arms to display her height. "I have you ranked by height, okay?" he said to her, before standing up to address the whole group. "The prisoners need to remain in the cryo-replenishers until tomorrow."

"That's right. Now, get to your lions."

* * *

 _"Hunk, what are you doing?"_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"You're supposed to be the leg over there."_

 _"What? No. No, no, no. I'm pretty sure that when we did it last time, I was the head. Right?"_

 _"You yelled, I'm a leg!"_

 _"Yeah, I was yelling a lot of things."_

 _"Shiro's the head."_

 _"All the time?"_

 _"Let's just try it my way for now."_

 _"Okay, but next time I call head."_

~This is hilarious,~ Chip snickered.

~Come on, they aren't doing too bad,~ Pua protested.

~You're on top of Ryou!~ Merla laughed. ~By the Anodites, this is priceless!~

~Are you okay over there, Chip? You aren't exactly used to holding this much weight.~

~I can hold my own just fine, Blue, thank you very much!~

~Alright you four, I think our paladins are doing enough fighting, let's not start,~ Ryou sighed.

* * *

 _"You think Zarkon is going to have mercy on you? He's probably on his way right now to destroy us all!"_

~Is it still treason to kill the head of the Altean royal family if none of our paladins are Altean this time?~

~Merla,~ Ryou warned.

~Because I'm definitely going to kill the princess once we get inside.~

~Merla!~

~You're right, who am I kidding? I'm not opposed to treason!~

~That's enough, Merla,~ Ryou scolded.

~I think I might actually be with her on this one,~ Blue huffed.

~Shut up, I'm trying to focus here!~ Chip growled.

~We're all going to die!~ Pua screamed as Hunk had him narrowly dodge a landslide a blast had started.

~We're not going to die, stupid!~ Chip yelled back.

~Are you sure?~ Blue questioned.

~We aren't, but Allura is!~ Merla hissed.

Ryou groaned. He forgot how crazy his pride could be.

* * *

"Are we at full power on condenser number five yet?"

Merla's ears twitched as Allura and Coran's voices drifted towards them.

"No, still just 84 percent."

She lept to her feet and started growling at the Alteans. She moved to pounce, but Blue caught her tail in his jaws before she could.

At the noise, Allura looked up at the group and smiled. "You did it! You formed Voltron!"

~I'm going to kill you!~

"No. The shooting stopped and the particle barrier shut down, so we just flew in."

"What?"

~Let me go Blue!~

"Oh, right. Uh, sorry, Princess. I had to turn off the Castle defenses to test the fire suppressors."

The tiger rolled his eyes and held tight to the cheetah's tail. He gave it a sharp tug and she collapsed towards him. He caught the smaller feline before she could run off and started nuzzling her in an attempt to calm her down.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Shiro demanded when he and Ryou walked in.

Ryou sent a glare at each of his pride-mates. From Pua collapsed on the floor with his head on Hunk's shoulder, to the lovebirds curled up at the center of the lowered area, to Chip draped across the couch with her head in Pidge's lap.

~Ryou, tell Blue to let me go!~

~I want to cuddle! Besides, my paladin will be upset if you kill his heart-sought!~

~The princess is a Kwaila and she could still do better than your paladin!~

~Don't talk about my paladin that way!~

~Ryou, Merla said a naughty word,~ Chip chuckled as Blue and Merla started wrestling.

~Keep it down,~ Pua yawned curling up away from both the arguing paladins and arguing felines.

~ENOUGH!~ Ryou roared, causing the humans and Alteans to jump. ~You are all Lions of Voltron, so act like it!~

"Is… everything alright?" Allura asked, eyeing Ryou warily.

Shiro glanced at Ryou, then the other four felines. Blue and Merla had pulled apart and each of the four were now sitting next to their respective paladins. The human chuckled and said, "Yeah, I think he was just setting the others straight."

Ryou gave a soft growl and stood at attention as Shiro scratched behind his ears.

~Kiss up,~ Merla muttered. Chip and Blue couldn't contain their snorts and Ryou sent her a reprimanding look.

* * *

~I wanna be down there!~ Merla whined, her paws up on the window.

~Why?~ Pua asked. ~How would that be any different than what we were doing earlier? You know, besides the fact that we wouldn't have any of our weapons or defenses.~

~One, don't overlook our natural weapons. Unlike you all, I've actually had to fight like this and trust me, I can do damage. Two, it'd be a lot more interesting than sitting up here. I'm bored!~

~I'm bored too!~ her sister huffed.

~It _would_ be good to learn how to fight in these bodies if we plan on following our paladins into battle,~ Ryou hummed, coming over to stand next to Merla.

~Pua, you're paladin just got mine knocked out!~ Chip whined.

~And there goes Pua's. My money's on Ryou's paladin.~

~Don't underestimate my cub, Blue! There's more to him then it seems,~ Merla growled.

~If they keep fighting like that then mine is definitely going to win,~ Ryou snorted.

~What was that you were saying, Merla?~

~Oh no, that was you're paladin's fault, Blue!~

~Ryou! You're paladin said a bad word!~

~Where has this obsession with curse words come from, Chip?~

~Pua, Pua, Pua, my paladin was _seven_ when I found her. Where do you think it comes from?~

~I've been with mine since he was _born_. That's not an excuse.~

~Merla, you're worse than all five of the paladins put together.~

~… True.~

* * *

~Keith! Make him run into a wall!~

~Don't you dare!~

"I'm not going to make him run into a wall," Keith hissed, covering the microphone as Coran explained the exercise to Lance.

~Come on, it will be funny!~

~Stop!~ Blue growled, shoving her.

"Merla, sh!"

~He's annoying, teach him a lesson!~

Keith ignored her as he gave Lance directions.

~Do! It! Do! It! Do! It!~

Keith glared at her then repeated the directions.

 _Fzzzzzzt!_

Merla chirp-laughed and rolled onto her back. Blue slumped to the ground and covered his eyes with his paws. Those hadn't even been the wrong directions.

~Oh, Lance!~

* * *

 _"The goal is to pull up right before you crash into the ground. Feel what the lion feels!"_

~Is this really the best idea? They're still so new!~ Pua pointed out with concern in his voice. He sighed when Hunk pulled out of the dive and he realized his worry had leached over their bond.

 _"You still going, Keith?"_

 _"You know it. You?"_

 _"Going? I'm speeding up!"_

 _"Oh, yeah?"_

~Lance, maybe we should not,~ Blue moaned and Merla started cackling.

~This is awesome!~

 _"Must be getting close."_

 _"Must be."_

~Um, Merla.~

~Yeah, wha- Oh quiznak!~

 _"You getting scared?"_

 _"I'm not scared!"_

~Lance, stop!~

~Kei-~

 _Crash!_

The two lions groaned, head first in a dune.

~Worth it,~ Merla muttered

~I blame you,~ Blue growled as she rolled out of the dune.

~You're paladin was the one who started it!~

 _"What was that noise? Did they crash?"_

~It's okay, Pidge. Those four were just being idiots. We're fine,~ Chip huffed, but the girl had already worked herself up and pulled out of the dive right into a canyon wall.

Ryou sighed as he realized he was the only lion still going and focused on his paladin, giving Shiro the access he needed when he met him halfway.

* * *

~Wake me up when they're done,~ Merla moaned, lying down on top of Blue's back.

~You're paladin just yelled at Chip's,~ Pua informed Merla. ~You should tell him to say sorry. Chip's is still just a cub.~

~My cub's not that much older. Chip, how old is Pidge?~

~She will be fifteen in approximately an earth month.~

~See, my cub's only half a year older than her! He doesn't have to apologize. If he yelled then he probably had a good reason. Probably.~

~Wait, Chip's is a girl?~

~Of course she is, love. Catch up.~

~Lance always calls her a boy.~

~So does Hunk.~

~It was part of the subterfuge at the Garrison,~ Chip explained.

~Oh! Wait, so is that really her girlfriend?~

~No, it's her and Matt. Right Chip?~

~Yeah. How did you know?~

~Keith knew him. It's how we figured out about her.~

~Keith said it was her girlfriend though,~ Chip said, sitting up to look at her sister.

~He's just keeping quiet. He knows better than to out her. I raised my cub right.~

Ryou snorted from his spot by the window.

~You got a problem with how I raised my cub? Let's see you raise one!~

* * *

"No, out Red," Allura said, pushing the cheetah out of the room.

~I want to fight!~ Merla growled, as the door closed behind her.

~Come on, Merla. Our paladins need to learn to fight together as a team,~ Ryou said, leading her and the others back to the viewing room.

~Well they can learn to fight as a team with me!~

~Another time. Right now they need to focus on bonding with one another.~

By the time they made it to the room, all the paladins were on the floor and Allura was lecturing them.

~Aw, we missed everything!~ Pua whined.

* * *

~How come we couldn't come to dinner? I want to eat.~

~Trust me, Pua, space food is disgusting and/or tasteless compared to Earth food. We aren't missing much,~ Merla sighed, slumping against the door to the dining room.

She frowned as she heard the paladins gasp and Lance yell, "Hold the phone!"

~Hey, I think something's happening!~

The rest of the pride joined her at the door to listen in.

"I saw a lot of solid individual performances today, but you're still struggling to work as a team. So, welcome to the final bonding exercise of the day."

There was groaning and clunking noises.

"Coran, I want you to think about what you're doing."

"This one's a classic. You get to feed each other, like a pack of yalmors!"

There was a few moments of groaning and grumbling before Hunk yelled out in pain.

~What are they doing in there?~ Chip asked.

"Sorry," Lance said before shouting, "Ew!" A moment later he added, "Oh, nice. You defiled my food goo!"

"It's your fault! This is ridiculous," Keith shouted back.

"Do Earthlings ever stop complaining?" Allura growled.

~Not in my experience!~ Merla called with a chirp.

"Can't you just give us a break?" Shiro implored. "Everyone's been working really hard today."

"Yeah!" Keith shouted. "We're not some prisoners for you to toy with, like… like…"

"Like a bunch of toy prisoners!"

"Yes! Thank you, Lance!"

~Did Keith just thank Lance?~ Pua gasped.

~My cub's growing up!~ Merla joked.

"You do not yell at the Princess!"

"Oh, the princess of what? We're the only ones out here and she's no princess of ours!"

~Oh snap! Great one, Pidge!~ Merla yowled, hoping at least Keith would hear it and relay the message.

~Merla, don't encourage their fighting!~ Ryou admonished.

"Go loose, Pidge!"

~Wait, what's going on?~ Blue asked. ~What's that sound?~

"Oh, it's on now."

~I think they're fighting,~ Chip replied.

~We're never going to form Voltron,~ Merla sighed. ~I'm going to go find somewhere to take a nap.~

~I'll come with you,~ Blue said, nuzzling the cheetah.

As the two walked away, Pua turned towards the kitchen. ~I'm going to go find some food.~

~I'm going to go explore. There's so much of the castle we've never gotten to see stuck in our hangers. Wanna come, Ryou?~

The liger glanced at the door to the dining room, where the sounds of a fight could still be heard. ~Sure, why not.~

* * *

 **And then the paladins come out of their bonding time, ready to form voltron, only to spend the next two hours tracking down their cats.**


	7. Purr-ty Time

~Ugh, what is that smell?~ Pua gagged as he stepped into the dining room, followed by his brothers and Merla.

~Space food,~ Merla sighed.

~It smells disgusting,~ Blue said, his nose scrunching up.

~Tried to warn you. You all have been spoiled.~

"Hey, Merla," Keith said as the cats reached their paladins. She purred and focused in on the conversation Coran and Shiro were having just in time for Coran to lift the lid off the dish he was carrying. The paladins all groaned in time with their cats. Pua actually ran out of the room as the scent became stronger with the food uncovered. Blue's nose twitched and he followed.

~Wimps!~ Merla called after them. She turned, only to meet Ryou's unimpressed stare.

~Be nice to your pride-mates.~

~Yeah, yeah.~

Keith and Lance went to sit down at the other end of the table and Merla followed. She placed herself between the two boys and was pleased to find she received twice the scratches for her efforts.

Hunk pulled a plant out of his pocket and held it up, saying, "Coran, we're on a planet now with fresh herbs, spices, and whatever this thing is. A tuber? Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head back to the kitchen and spice things up."

As Hunk left through the door to the kitchen, Shiro asked, "Where's Pidge?"

"He's probably checking on those prisoners we rescued from Zarkon. They'll all be waking soon in the infirmary," Coran answered, his mouth full of food.

Shiro stood up, and came face to fork with Coran's cooking.

"Open the hatch. Food lion coming in!" Coran said before imitating an airplane like Merla had seen humans do to their children. She didn't realize Alteans did it as well. Bizarre.

"No. Just... no," Shiro deadpanned, moving around the fork. "Come on, Ryou."

"You don't know what you're missing!" Coran called as the two left. He turned to Keith and Lance held out the fork. "What about you two?"

"I'll pass," Lance said, standing up. "Tell Hunk to call me when he's done."

Merla snickered as Keith gave his _Don't leave me here!_ expression. They joined Lance in the hallway and Keith asked, "Where are you going?"

"What's it to you, Mullet?"

"Anywhere's better than near Coran's cooking."

"Good point. Alright, you can come with me, I guess. I need Merla anyways."

Merla's ears perked up and she looked at her love's paladin. ~Me?~

"Why do you need Merla?"

"I'll show you."

Lance led them to a room near where the paladin armor had been stored. Blue was already there and waiting. He perked up when Merla came in and she walked over to curl up with him.

"I still can't believe he'd betray me like that," Lance huffed as he watched the two of them.

"You do realize they've probably been together since long before we were born, right?"

"Yeah, whatever. Help me with this, would you?" Lance asked, as he picked up some armor off a table.

Keith walked over and grabbed one of the pieces. "What is this?"

Lance smirked.

* * *

"Wow, you did all this?" Keith asked, looking over the armor Blue and Merla were wearing.

"Yeah. The armor looked tacky when you guys took Merla and Ryou up before so I figured I'd give it a paint job. Something more fitting for our partners in crime."

"Well, you did a great job." Merla's armor had been repainted to match Keith's, though the red portions on everything except the helmet and forelegs had been painted white and vice versa. Likewise, Blue had armor that matched Lance's in a similar way, though the collar was painted a bright red.

"I… Well, uh, of course I did," Lance stumbled, not expecting the compliment.

"Did you make armor for all the lions?"

"Yeah, but I've only tried them on Blue and Merla so far."

"Hurrrfff."

The two turned to see Pua standing in the doorway.

"Guess Hunk must be done."

"Let's hope it's better than whatever Coran had tried to feed us."

There was a clatter and they looked over to see Merla sans armor shaking herself off.

"How-"

"Magic," Keith shrugged.

* * *

Blue sniffed at the bowl Hunk had placed on the ground. ~Well, it smells better than the other stuff.~

~I think it's just plants mixed with supplements,~ her brother said. Pua lapped at the mixture and his nose wrinkled up. ~Why do Alteans have to be herbivores?~

~Keeeeiiiiith! He's trying to kill me! I need meeeeeaaaaaat! Let's go hunting! Pleeeaaaase!~ Merla whined, completely ignoring the bowl in favor of draping herself against her cub's legs and clawing at his shin.

"Do you even need to eat?" Keith asked quietly in between bites.

~That's not the point!~

 _BZZZZZZT! BZZZZZZT! BZZZZZZT! BZZZZZZT!_

The group looked up at the alarm and Allura brought up a surveillance feed.

"What is that?" Keith asked as they watched a short creature dart behind a rock.

~Do you think it's food?~ Merla asked and Blue shoved the smaller cat.

"I don't know what it is. Maybe it's a local Arusian."

"He's approaching the Castle," Allura noted as it moved from rock to rock with a battlecry.

Hunk cooed and Lance said, "Doesn't look too dangerous."

"You never know," Keith muttered, summoning his bayard.

~Calm down your paladin,~ Pua huffed and Merla snorted.

~My cub's got the right idea. We don't know what it wants and it's got a weapon. I raised him right.~

"No. Alteans believe in peace first. Let's go welcome them," Allura said, heading out with Coran and Pua sent Merla a victorious look.

"That's adorable."

"Hey, maybe we can knit him a little sweater!"

Pua and Blue followed as their paladins chased after the Alteans.

"I'm not taking any chances," Keith said before he and Merla fell in behind them.

~I agree, we don't know who or what it is. It very well might be delicious.~

"What is it with you and food today?" Keith muttered quietly. "The others aren't complaining."

~I haven't been allowed to hunt in _ages_! I'm not used to being cooped up like these other spoiled little house cats!~

~We're the ones who are spoiled yet your the one doing all the complaining.~

~Love, if you hadn't been subjected to the horrors of kitty kibble you'd be complaining too. There's nothing better than sinking your fangs into a fresh kill.~

~That sounds disgusting. Blue, I think you're soul-bound's gone feral.~

~Gone?~

~Oh haha, very funny. You know you love me.~

~True,~ Blue growled softly, falling back to nuzzle the cheetah.

When the group reached the doors, Allura waved the cats off. "You three wait here. We don't want to scare him."

Merla snorted as the princess walked off. ~Speak for yourself.~

~Merla,~ Blue started, but she was already chasing after her paladin.

"Greetings," Allura said, leaning over the bush the Arusian was hiding in. "We know you're there. No harm will come to you."

The Arusian hopped out of the bush and held out his blade.

Hunk cooed, but Merla growled and both she and her paladin stepped forward to protect the princess.

"Wait! He could be dangerous. Drop your weapon!"

~Or I'll make you!~

"No one takes Klaizap's weapon!"

Merla crouched to pounce on the creature as he turned his blade towards her paladin, but Allura ordered, "Keith, Red, stand down, both of you!"

Keith sighed and lowered his bayard. Merla's tail twitched, but she stopped baring her teeth and stood up.

"Please, kind sir, accept my most humble apologies."

Merla's tail flicked back and forth as the Arusian spoke.

~Lion Goddess? You think he means Merla or Chip? Or maybe you Blue?~ Pua asked as they snuck up behind the group.

~The carving looks like a tiger, so I guess it's me.~

~Really? My guess is Merla. He keeps saying she's angry right? Merla makes sense.~

~I'm going to rip your tail off,~ Merla growled lowly.

~See! And he said fire, definitely Merla.~

~Pua, he's talking about Voltron! Even your paladin figured that out!~

~And what's that supposed to mean?~

~Why's he bowing to Allura? She's not even a lion,~ Blue snorted.

~Does this mean we're not going to eat him?~ Merla huffed as Allura asked to come to his village. She stepped forward to sniff at the Arusian and he jumped back with a shout.

"No, Merla, you can't eat him," Keith sighed, grabbing her scruff and tugging her away from the frightened Arusian.

* * *

~Why can't we be down there partying?~ Pua whined.

~I'm guessing it's because _someone_ couldn't keep her stomach in check.~

~I regret nothing. I don't want to be down there anyways,~ Merla sniffed.

~Well I do, I want to play! I wonder if they have any good food?~

~Does roasted Arusian sound good, Pua, because I think they're about to throw one of their own on a pyre. Should we be worried about our paladins?~

~Eh, Keith doesn't seem worried. Looks like the princess is handling things. I think I'll go down anyways though. Just in case.~

~Merla, Allura told us to stay here.~

~She can't tell me what to do. Who does she think she is, Ryou?~

The siblings sighed as Merla left her metallic form and ran off towards the party.

* * *

Ryou and Chip watched their paladins disappear into the destroyed Galra ship.

~Should we follow them?~ Chip asked as she peeked inside.

~They'll be fine. We're of more use out here, keeping watch.~ Ryou said, staring up in the sky. ~Sense that?~

Chip looked up. ~No. Wait, yes. What is that?~

~It feels like a ship, but not.~

~Asteroid?~

~Hm…~

The two watched the sky until they felt the craft enter the atmosphere.

Ryou jumped to his feet. ~Get to your body, now!~

~Right!~

The two returned to their metallic forms in time to leap in front of their escaping paladins as the craft crashed down on top of the fallen ship.

* * *

"… need to learn to follow orders and…"

Merla's tail twitched as Keith nudged her, bring her focus back to Allura for half a second. "Pay attention," he whispered.

~Why? She's not my boss. She's not even your boss. That's Ryou and Shiro.~

"Her house, her rules."

~Do you really think either of us believe that?~

Keith crossed his arms and leaned against a tree.

~That's what I thought.~ Merla chirped. Suddenly she turned to the sky. ~Do you feel that?~

"Feel what?" Keith pushed away from the tree and looked up.

"… so- Red, are you listening?"

"Something's up," Keith answered for her. "Ship?"

~No. I don't know what it is.~

"Ship?" Hunk asked, looking worried.

"No, but-" Keith cut off as whatever it was let out a sonic boom.

~Move!~ Blue said, leaping to his feet and running towards her metallic form.

"What's going on? Where's Blue going? Pua! Come back!" Hunk shouted, watching the lion rush after his brother.

"Merla?" Keith asked.

~Blue's right, we need to go.~

 _"_ _Team, come in! We need backup! Hello?"_

"Shiro?"

 _"_ _Where is everyone?"_

"We need to go," Keith said. He and Merla moved to run, but the ground shook beneath their feet.

The Arusians started panicking and running around.

"Everyone get inside and stay down!" Allura called out as Merla took off.

* * *

~Hurt! This isn't wor- Seemed confi- We need a new pla- New information.~

 _"_ _When I attacked him before, I had a sword!"_

~Sword? Sword! But- No! Yes! Too soon! Too soon? Yes! No!~

 _"_ _Orb! Orb!"_

~Years! Not the same! Can help! No! YES!~

 _"_ _We can't take another shot like that!"_

~Keith! Can help! Do! Do! Bayard!~

 _"_ _Wait a second, guys! I think Merla's telling me what to do."_

~Merla! No! Yes! Good! Keith! Yes!~

 _"_ _Well whatever it is, hurry up and do it! He's about to fire his third shot!"_

~Pain! Hurts! Keith!~

{Red Bayard inserted. Scanning. Red Paladin Keith Bayard operation accepted. Processing Red Paladin Keith Bayard primary form. Red Paladin Keith Bayard primary form: Katar. Red Paladin Keith Voltron Bayard weapon translating. Red Paladin Keith Voltron Bayard weapon translation: Single-edged broadsword. Weapon formed.}

~Attack! Finally! Victory!~

 _"_ _Yeah! We did it! Woohoo!"_

 _"_ _How did you do that?"_

{Red Bayard ejected. Weapon deconstructed. Red Paladin Keith Voltron Bayard weapon translation filed.}

 _"_ _Whoa. Hehe. Thanks, Merla."_

~Victory! Merla! Told you! Yes! Right! Congratulations! Victory! Merla!~

* * *

~Why couldn't we play Voltron? It would have been fun!~ Pua whined, watching the performance the Arusians were putting on.

~We would have gotten it right, too,~ Merla snorted.

~Be nice, love,~ Blue huffed, licking the serval kitten's cheek.

~I'll be nice when they stop trying to pick me up!~ Merla hissed as another Arusian came over to coo at her. She ducked under Blue and the Arusian pouted. ~Why do we have to be small again?~

~We look more friendly this way,~ the cat purred, he head butting the Arusian's hand to accept the scratches in Merla's place.

~I'm not a toy! I'm a warrior! A weapon! I don't need to look friendly!~

~Stop being extra,~ her sister said as she ran past. Chip was chasing Rover in circles around her paladin.

~You stop being extra!~ Merla called back. When another Arusian approached, she darted away and curled around Keith's ankle. ~Keith! Make them stop!~

Keith frowned and picked her up. He held her up and she nestled herself between his neck and the collar of his armor. "Better?"

~Yes!~

"How about, uh... I say Vol- and you say -tron. Vol!"

"Uh…" Keith blinked, caught off guard. He shrugged. "Voltron?"

"No! No, no, no. The cheer includes the instructions. I say Vol- and you say…"

~Why does Blue always pick the weird ones?~

"Vol…tron?"

"We'll work on it," Lance sighed. He took a drink of whatever he was holding and gagged.

Merla snickered and curled up around Keith's neck to nap.

When she woke up, she shook herself. ~I want food.~

Keith snorted and helped her down. "There's food floating around everywhere go find some."

Merla huffed, but left the boy. She had just managed to hop onto a platter when she spotted Lance leaving. ~Where's he going?~ she purred. She grabbed one of the cake pop-like deserts then jumped down to follow him.

* * *

"Well you seem proud of yourself," Pidge chuckled.

~Why shouldn't I be? I have proven that I am the better of your partners,~ Chip purred and shifted to try to find a more comfortable position.

"So, Pidge," Allura said, walking up in front of the girl. She paused when she noticed Chip perched atop the floating Galra drone. "What is Green doing?"

"I think she's asserting her dominance over Rover."

~Close enough.~

"I see… Anyways, we haven't had a chance to really talk. Tell me about yourself."

Chip blinked and tilted her head.

Pidge hummed. "Well, I like peanut butter, and I like peanut butter cookies, but I hate peanuts. They're so dry. Also, I sweat a lot. I-I mean, in general, unrelated to the peanuts." She moved to walk away, but Allura stepped in front of her.

"I suppose I was thinking of something a little more personal." The princess winked then leaned down so she and Pidge were face to face. "We have a lot in common."

~Is she attempting to mate with you? That's what you call flirting, correct?~

"Like what?"

Allura blanched. "Oh, well, both of us had our fathers taken away by Zarkon."

~Rude.~

"Yeah, but I'm going to get mine back."

~Ruder,~ Chip snorted as Allura gasped.

"I'm sorry. I-I really didn't mean to-"

"No, I understand. I just want you to know that you can confide in me." She leaned down again.

~She rebounds quick.~

"If there's anything you ever want to talk about… Anything."

"Huh? Okay. I do have something to tell you."

Allura popped up. "I had a feeling. What is it?"

"I'm leaving Team Voltron."

Chip fell off Rover.

"Wait, what?"

"I decrypted the information from the Galra ship about where my family might be, or at least where they were. I've made up my mind. I'm leaving tonight."

~Pidge?~ Chip whined pawing at her paladin's ankle.

"Pidge, you can't. You're one of five paladins. You have a sacred trust to defend the universe." Allura grabbed Pidge's shoulders, but the girl jerked away from both the Altean and the cat.

"My first priority is to find my family!" Pidge snapped. "I thought you of all people would understand. If you had a chance to get your father back, wouldn't you?"

Allura frowned and Chip curled around her feet.

"I'm sorry. I should go tell everyone else."

They watched Pidge walk away, Rover flying behind her.

"What are we going to do?"

~I wish I knew,~ Chip sniffed. She looked around, but didn't see her sister. She spotted Pua playing with some Arusian children and Blue being pampered by a another group. She darted past them and ran out the door. Finally she spotted Ryou, prowling next to Shiro in his liger form. ~RYOU!~

~Chip, what's wrong?~

"Hey Chip, what's the matter?"

Both Shiro and Ryou turned to her, Shiro kneeling down and holding out his hand.

Chip climbed up Shiro's arm and jumped onto Ryou's back. She curled up on his neck, burrowing her face into his fur.

~What happened, Chip?~

"Hey now, what's wrong? Is Pidge okay?"

Chip gave a wordless whine.

"Shiro? I need to talk to you."

Shiro and Ryou looked up as Pidge walked over. "Pidge, something's wrong with Chip?"

The girl sighed. "She's probably not happy with me, but I made my decision. I'd rather tell you all at once though."

"Alright, let's go get the others."

* * *

Haxus watched the Green Paladin approach the Black and leveled the scanner at the group. He waited as the scanner registered the two paladins' armor systems, the drone, and, to Haxus' surprise, the two creatures next to the paladins. His eyes widened as the scanner listed signature codes of the creatures.

 _The black one does resemble the lions, but why…_

Haxus shook off his confusion and cloned the drone's signature code. He ducked back behind the rocks he was hiding in and loaded it into the bomb drone. "Bomb activated."

The drone acknowledged his command then flew off towards the castle. Haxus watched it go before returning back to Sendak.

"Haxus?" the commander greeted.

"Everything's in place."

"Excellent."

"There's something else." Haxus brought up the data from the earlier scan and showed it to his superior. "The creatures that have been following the paladins…"

"The signatures resemble the Red Lion." Sendak said. "Why?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure Zarkon will want to find out."

Sendak nodded. "We'll take them and the rest when we capture the castle."

* * *

Lance looked up when Merla padded up next to him. "Hey there Merla. What are you doing here?"

Merla watched him scrub at his eyes before reaching over to run his hand down her back. ~Were you crying?~ she purred, moving over to lick his cheek.

The boy chuckled and scratched under her chin. "Don't tell Keith I was crying, okay?" he said in a joking tone.

~I make no promises. I probably won't tell though.~ She climbed into his lap and laid down. ~Cuddles usually help Keith.~

They sat in silence for a few moments before Coran came in. Merla listened as the two talked. When Lance moved to stand, she climbed up to curl against his neck like she had done to Keith before. The two talked for a while, exchanging stories, before Coran set his hand on Lance's shoulder.

"How about we return to the party now?"

Lance stared up at the stars for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, alright."

They turned and headed towards the door. It opened just before they reached it, admitting a Galra drone.

"Hey, Rover," Lance greeted as he passed it.

Merla's nose twitched and she looked up just as Lance turned. Did the drone smell like-

"Wait. Where's Pidge?"

The drone's details turned red and it started beeping rapidly.

~GALRA!~ Merla yowled as Lance gasped.

"Coran, look out!" the Blue Paladin shouted as he tackled the Altean.

The room exploded behind them.

* * *

 **A quick question: I plan on writing out chapters for the comic's storyline, but I'm not sure if it should be an interlude like the Mother of Cats arc or as normal chapters since it's not technically part of the main story. Which would y'all prefer?**


	8. Defending the Cat-stle: Part 1

"Pidge, no."

"The download from the Galra ship was enough to at least get me in the right direction to start my search. I have a pod all ready to go."

Pua and Blue pressed closer around Chip, Blue nosing her cheek in an effort to comfort her, as Pidge spoke. Ryou stood next to his paladin, glaring down the smallest of the humans.

"You can't leave," Keith barked.

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"If you leave, we can't form Voltron. And that means we can't defend the universe against Zarkon. You're not the only one with a family. All these Arusians have families. Everyone in the universe has families."

"Yeah, I have a family," Hunk added. "They live on Earth. I want to be with them. Is that, like, a thing that can happen?"

~Hunk?~ Pua keened.

"You want to leave, too?" Allura asked.

"Of course I do! Look, Voltron is super-cool, don't get me wrong, but I never signed up for a lifetime in space, fighting aliens."

Keith growled and stepped up to stand over Pidge. "You're putting the lives of two people over the lives of everyone else in the entire galaxy!"

Shiro grabbed Keith's arm. "Keith, that's not how a team works. People have to want to be a part of it. They can't be forced." He let Keith go and turned to Pidge. "If you want to leave, we won't try to stop you. But, please, just think about what you're doing."

Pidge stared down at the ground.

~Pidge?~ Chip called.

"I'm sorry. You're going to have to find someone else to pilot the Green Lion."

The girl walked away with Rover trailing after her.

Chip tried to run after her, but the girl stopped and shook her head. "You need to stay here, Chip. You'll have to find someone else."

Chip whined as she watched the girl leave. Ryou let out a huff and leaned down to nuzzle the small cat while his brothers ran up to curl around her again.

"I can't believe it. This team is falling apart. How will we ever form Voltron?"

Keith glared at the girl's back as she disappeared before leaning down to stroke Chip's back.

"What do we do now?" Hunk asked.

"Let's…" Allura sighed. "For now, let's return to the party."

Hunk nodded and the two left. Shiro moved to follow, but paused when Keith stayed where he was. "Keith?"

"I think I'm going to stay with Chip. I'm not in the mood to party," Keith growled, sitting down.

Shiro frowned and patted the boy's shoulder. "Alright, but not too long, okay?"

Keith grunted.

Shiro scratched Ryou's head and muttered, "Stay with them."

~Of course,~ the liger growled softly and licked his hand. He sat down next to Keith as the boy pulled Chip into his lap. Blue nudged his way onto Keith's lap as well while Pua curled up on his other side.

Shiro stayed for a moment longer then left.

Keith sighed and scratched Chip's chin. "How could she just… just leave us?"

~Keith, it's not like that,~ Ryou growled and pressed closer to the boy. ~This is different.~

Keith shivered and did the same. "I-"

 _BOOM!_

The group looked up as the entire castle shook. Screams came from the party as debris rained down from the ceiling. All but one of the cats jumped to their feet and Chip and Pua ran out.

~Keith, Blue?~ Ryou growled when neither moved.

~Something's wrong,~ Blue whined as he began shaking. ~Hurts.~

~What hurts?~

~Everything.~ Blue finally stood up. ~Lance.~

"Merla," Keith muttered.

Ryou felt worry set in. He slipped his head under Keith's arm and helped the boy to his feet. The boy staggered, but kept his feet by leaning against Ryou. The liger scooped up Blue in his mouth then led Keith away. They passed the Arusians, who were quickly fleeing the castle, and went up the stairs where Ryou could tell Shiro had gone. They reached the others just after they had reached the bridge.

The group was standing over Coran, Hunk helping him sit up. Ryou came up to Shiro's side, but Keith continued forward. "Merla!"

~Lance!~ Ryou dropped Blue and the cat rushed into the smoke.

The group gasped as the smoke began to clear, revealing the damaged crystal at the top of the room, but Blue and Keith were focused on the two forms on the ground.

Lance was draped across the floor, his face and armor spotted with burns. Merla was little better, her fur burned off in patches and smoking.

"Lance!" Allura called out when the others finally caught sight of them. "Red!"

Shiro rushed forward as Keith dropped to his knees and gently scooped up his kitten.

"Lance?" Shiro said, the boy shifted and groaned, but didn't wake up. Shiro yelled his name again as he slid his arm behind the boy's back to lift him up.

"We have to them to the infirmary!" Pidge demanded.

"Without the crystal, the Castle has no power."

"Merla," Keith muttered, shaking slightly.

Blue sniffed Lance's cheek and gave a long, high whine.

"He doesn't look good."

"Lion warriors!" The group turned to see the Arusian king standing behind them. "Our village is under attack! We need help!"

"T-the lions?" Keith stuttered.

"They're sealed in their hangars. There's no way to get them out. We're defenseless."

"Will you not help us?" the Arusian king worried.

"We'll help you. We just…" Keith shook his head and held Merla closer.

"This is bad," Hunk said.

"We have to get a new crystal to get the Castle working again." Coran pulled away from where Hunk had been helping him stand. "But, to get a new crystal, we need a ship."

"The pod I was loading," Pidge offered. "We can use that! I left the bay door open!"

"I can use the scanner in the pod to see if there's a Balmera nearby. Hunk, you come with me. I'll need someone big to help me carry the crystal."

"A Balmera?"

"It's where the crystals come from. I'll tell you about it on the way!" Coran rushed off with Pidge, Hunk, Chip, and Pua just behind him.

Allura looked over at the king, then down at Keith. "Someone needs to go down to check on the Arusians."

"I-I'd go, but…"

Blue looked up at Keith and purred. He moved away from Lance and shifted into his tiger form. He stood in front of Keith and gave a soft growl. ~Let me.~

The boy met his eyes before letting out a shaky breath. He held up Merla, allowing Blue to gently pick her up. "Take care of her."

~Of course.~

"I'll tend to Lance and Merla. Blue and Ryou can help me stand watch over the Castle."

Keith nodded and with one last glance at Merla, he and Allura followed the king to his village.

Shiro looked over his charge, checking his head and spine, before gently picking him up in a over-the-shoulder lift. He and the two large cats walked back down to the entrance hall so they could watch the door.

"Hang on, buddy. Help is on the way." He paused as he spotted the Galra from the video alongside another Galra and a group of sentinels. "Sendak!"

He set Lance down off to the side and Blue set Merla on the boy's chest. The tiger stepped up to watch over them while Shiro and Ryou ran forward to meet the invaders.

"Hand over the creatures and stand aside," Sendak commanded.

"No. You're not getting them." Shiro's arm powered up.

"Yes, I am."

Shiro ran forward, but was cut off as Sendak's arm flew out to grab his own. As the two fought, Ryou leaped at the sentinels, knocking down two. He dodged laser fire and tackled the unknown Galra. The Galra brought his arm up before Ryou could get to his face, leaving the liger's fangs to sink into his armor. The man hissed at the pain as the armor fractured.

It was a short lived victory as Ryou took a blast to the side, knocking him off the Galra.

"Shoot to stun! We want it alive!" the Galra shouted.

~Leave!~ Ryou roared and jumped on the sentinel that had shot him. He bit its head. It stayed down. He managed to take another down before a blast once more caught him, this time in the neck. He yowled and collapsed. He tried to rise, but a trio of sentinels stepped up to hold him down. Despite his struggles, the Galra managed to bind his snout and limbs. He tried to phase through them, but a second blast knocked him out before he could.

Inside, Blue paced nervously back and forth. A part of him wanted to rush out to defend Ryou and his paladin, but that would mean leaving his own paladin and love. His ears twitched and he jumped to the side just as Shiro was thrown into the castle. He placed himself over Merla and Lance and growled at Sendak as he flew past. Hissing, he crouched down over as the other Galra and sentinel approached, two dragging Ryou's bound form. ~Stay away!~

The Galra snorted and gestured the robots forward. "Take it. It won't dare move from its charges."

~I'll kill you when this is over.~ He knew the Galra was right though. If he moved, Lance and Merla would be exposed. They had him pinned.

The man laughed and blasted Blue square between the eyes. The tiger had just enough strength in him to be sure he fell to the side instead of on top of his charges before everything went dark.

A floor above, Pidge, Rover, and Chip raced to the entrance hall. Pidge and Chip scrambled back when they spotted Sendak and Shiro fighting. Pidge grabbed Rover and ducked behind a column. Chip crouched next to her, glad she had remained in her house cat form. She hissed when she saw sentinels dragging in Ryou, Blue, and Lance.

"Let him go or your friend won't make it!" the unknown Galra holding Merla ordered as a sentinel threw Lance to the ground.

When Shiro looked over, Sendak used the distraction to knock Shiro out.

* * *

Keith panted heavily as he ran towards the Arusian village with Allura. He felt a crushing weight on his chest, like an anaconda was wrapped around it, slowly killing him. All he could think of was Merla, burned and smoking on the floor of the bridge. So small in her kitten form. Merla had been there for him for as long as he could remember. She'd supported him through everything. She was the one person he could count on to be there. To never leave.

It was bizarre to see his guardian, his self-proclaimed mother, so injured and fragile. It hurt.

When he got his hands on the one who had done this…

"What's happening?" Allura asked as they reached the village to see it covered in flames.

"Look! Attackers!" the king proclaimed, pointing. A group of Galra sentinels standing within the flames were visible for a moment before a pair of explosions went off, hiding the group.

Keith growled and jumped down the hill. "I'll go in for a closer look. Stay here with them."

He heard Allura call after him but ignored her and jumped into the flames. He ran through the destroyed village until he found the group. He peaked through the window of a destroyed house, readying himself to charge, only to find a bunch of broken sentinels held up by planks and rope.

"What? Oh, no." Keith kicked the wall of the hut and roared, "They tricked us!" Not only had he left Merla for nothing, but she was probably in even greater danger now! He turned around, racing back the way he'd come as he called through the comms, "It was just a diversion to separate us and thin the Castle defenses!"

Allura was waiting for him when he made it out of the flames, looking worried. Together they ran towards the castle. Keith felt his heart clench as the castle lit up purple. He pushed himself to run faster, but it was for not.

The particle barrier closed just before Allura and Keith reached the castle.

"We're too late. No!" Keith slammed his fist against the barrier.

"They have control of the Castle. They're taking Voltron!"

"Merla is in there! Ryou! Blue! Shiro and Lance! We need to get in there! I- We need to save them! We need to get in there!"

"There's no way."

Keith summoned his bayard and it formed a sword. "Can we break through the barrier?" he asked.

"No. And whoever has taken the Castle has a crystal, which means they'll be able to fly the ship. We have to stop them."

"How are we going to do that?" he barked. Quiznak! He need to get inside! There had to be a way!

 _"_ _Keith, can you hear me?"_

Keith's eyes widened. "Pidge, is that you? Where are you?"

 _"_ _I'm inside the Castle. Sendak has taken over and he's preparing for launch. He's got the others. Lance and Merla are still unconscious and they knocked out Shiro, Blue, and Ryou."_

"Pidge, listen. If they've started the launch sequence, then we don't have much time before liftoff to stop it."

 _"_ _What do I have to do?"_

* * *

Pidge grunted as she forced open the elevator doors, then planted herself between them to keep them open. "Here, Rover," she whispered and he and his passenger flew through the open doors. "Okay, you two, here we go," she said before slipping out of the doors. She continued down the shaft, hopping from side to side until she reached the floor Allura had sent her to. Like before, she forced open the doors and let Rover and Chip through before following. Chip hopped down as soon as they were through and shook herself before shifting into her leopard form.

Pidge was shocked for a second before nodding. "Yeah, probably for the best." She brought up the map before turning down a hall. "This way."

The three ran - or flew in Rover's case - down corridors and around corners until they finally made it to the central energy chamber.

"Okay, Allura, I'm near the turbine. I think it's started," she called into the comms as they ran across the catwalk.

 _"_ _Then you'll have to hurry. Cross the catwalk to the main column in the center."_

"Okay," Pidge said once they'd reached the end.

 _"_ _Now, open the hatch. Find the central computer control hub and enter the following sequence-"_

While Allura had been talking, Pidge had opened the hatch, but as she looked inside she cut off the princess. "Wait, wait, wait, wait! Which one is it? All the labels are in Altean!"

Chip pressed forwards. ~I can help!~

The room filled with static as the engine began powering up and the catwalk began to shake.

"I can't tell which one it is! Allura? Allura!" When nothing came over the comms, Pidge stood up and looked at the large white-blue ball. "Uh…" That had to be interfering with the comms. But how could she reconnect to Allura? Nothing on the screen made much sense either! She knelt back down the hatch and looked at the vials and wires inside again before summoning her bayard. She formed her spade-katar. "Whatever." She slammed the blade into the vials. The system short-circuited, sending a shock through her and blasting her away from the control panel. Chip and Rover rushed to her side, but the girl sat up, relatively unharmed.

Together they watched the orb flux before shrinking down to a dormant state.

Pidge laughed and wrapped her arm around Chip's neck as Rover beeped cheerfully and flew in circles around them.

"Allura!" Pidge cheered.

 _"_ _Pidge?"_

"I did it!

 _"_ _Wonderful!"_

 _"_ _You should get out of there now,"_ Keith spoke up. _"_ _They'll probably be sending someone to check on it soon."_

"Right," Pidge got up and the three left the room. She found somewhere to hide out and before continuing. "What now?"

 _"_ _There's not much time before they get the ship running again. You must shut off the particle barrier so we can get in."_

"You got it. Tell me what to do."

" _The particle barrier generator is beneath the main hull…_ "

* * *

 **A quick question: I plan on writing out chapters for the comic's storyline, but I'm not sure if it should be an interlude like the Mother of Cats arc or as normal chapters since it's not technically part of the main story. Which would y'all prefer?**


	9. Interlude: Mother of Cats, Part 2

"Liva, you made it!"

"Of course I made it! How could you think I'd miss your birthday, little Shiro?" Liva laughed, holding out the bag she had brought with her.

Takashi, or Shiro as Liva had taken to calling him, eagerly took the bag and stepped aside so she could come into the house. "You've been gone for forever!"

"Forever, huh? And here I thought you were just turning nine. I don't think my gift is right for a forever years old. I guess I'll just have to take it back." She mocked reaching for it and the boy jumped away.

"Okay, so maybe it wasn't _forever_ , but it was still a long time."

"It was two weeks."

"Exactly!"

Liva chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair.

Shiro huffed then he spotted the nose peeking out of Liva's purse. "Is that Romelle? She's even cuter than the pictures!"

Purring, the caracal kitten peaked out at of the bag, then jumped at the boy.

"Where's your brother?"

"He's in the back making hamburgers. Can I show Romelle to my friends?"

"Hm, I don't know, what does she think?"

The kitten glanced between the two then let out a huff and nuzzled Shiro's chin. Taking that as acceptance, the boy cheered and ran off.

Liva smiled and headed out into the back. When she got there, she spotted Akira by the grill with a couple of Shiro's friends' parents. "Akira!"

The man looked up and waved. "Liva, glad you could make it." As she walked up, he introduced the others. Liva did her best to interact, but even after nine Earth months on the planet, she still had problems sometimes understanding human culture and behavior. Thankfully she got through it and the party went on.

An hour later everyone was seated around a couple tables. The burgers had been finished off and Akira was bringing out a cake to the cheers of the kids. Liva stood to offer to help cut it, but the moment she smelled the cake her stomach twisted.

It was odd, sugar was one of her favorite things about Earth. She'd never tasted anything so delicious as Earth food, especially desserts, yet the sweet smell was making feel like she had to…

Liva ran into the house and threw open the door to the bathroom.

"Liva?" Akira called, rushing into the bathroom with Romelle close at his heels.

"Mrrrrr?"

Liva groaned and pushed a few loose strands of her hair away from her face, glad she had put it up for the party.

"What happened?"

"I-I don't know. My stomach just…"

Akira knelt down and rubbed her back. "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry. Get back to the party. I think I'll just get cleaned up and head home."

"You sure? Maybe I should give you a ride."

"No, it's fine, really. The feeling's passed. I'm just going to go home and rest. Just tell Shiro I'm sorry."

"Well, if you're sure. At least let me walk you out. The kids are all focused on the cake."

"Alright, just give me a second."

Liva sat up once he stepped out and moved over to the sink. She washed her face and rinsed out her mouth before looking at herself in the mirror. What had happened?

Once Akira saw her out, Liva got her bike. Instead of riding home, though, she and Romelle headed towards the forest.

"Wrrrr?"

"I need to figure out what's wrong with me, and it's not like the human doctors will be able to help."

Once they reached the tree line, Liva tucked the bike behind a bush and the two headed in. As soon as they were out of sight, Romelle squirmed out of Liva's purse and dropped to the ground. She shook herself then shifted, taking on the form of a gremop, a creature similar to Earth tigers with the height of an Earth horse and six tails.

She crouched down and stared at Liva.

"You're going to be exhausted after this, you know."

Romelle just continued to stare.

"Alright then, if you insist." Liva sat down on Romelle's back and grabbed the fur on her neck.

Once she was sure Liva was ready, Romelle stood up and took off into the forest. She ran until she reached the hidden cave where they had stored the pod. When they got there, she let Liva off before collapsing off by the wall.

The woman chuckled and stroked the gremop's side. After letting the nausea that had risen up once more fade, she headed inside the pod to the emergency kit and pulled out the biometric scanner. She scanned herself then sat down to wait.

* * *

Red's tail flicked back and forth as Liva delivered the news to Akira, who looked shocked.

Honestly, Red didn't think she'd ever understand how organic creatures could be so ignorant about what was happening with their bodies. Sure, they couldn't just run a diagnostic scan, but their bodies still gave them so many hints!

She supposed Liva could have a pass - How were they supposed to know humans and Galra were compatible - but Akira? What did he think was going to come from what they had been doing?

Red huffed and nosed Shiro's hand so he'd start petting her again.

"I was so careless! But how was I supposed to know… I didn't think I could… What am I going to do?"

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. You're not alone with this. I'll help you through this."

"I can't ask that of you."

"You didn't have to. I'm not just going to abandon you, Liva."

Teary-eyed, Liva threw herself at Akira and pulled him into a hug.

* * *

"I wish I was human."

Red yawned and turned her head to look at Liva, who was laying on the bed next to her flicking through one of the pregnancy books she had picked up.

"I mean, they're so fragile - look at the mortality rate for both the mother's and the children! - and who'd want to run the risk of carrying multiple children inside you, but otherwise their pregnancies are so simple! Some cravings, nausea, pain, and mood swings. That's it! No nesting! No fur and hair going pale! No spurts of temporary blindness!" she sighed and tossed the book.

Red flicked her tail before turning away. She forgot how insane people were when they were carrying a child.

* * *

"Is it going to be a boy or girl?" Shiro asked.

Liva frowned. How would she- Oh, right!

"It's going to be a girl." Just another thing she didn't understand about humans; human genders were determined by sex markers until the human said otherwise. And even then-

"So is Liva going to be my sister?"

Akira spat out his coffee and Liva blushed.

* * *

"Have you settled on a name?"

Akira glanced over at Liva, who smiled. "Not yet. We're still debating between Angel, Sora, and Ha-neul."

"Those are such cute names. Of course, with a mother like you she's sure to be just as cute!" Shiro's teacher said as she led them out of the classroom.

"Yes, I suppose they will."

"Well, it was nice meeting you both," she said as she opened the door for them. She smiled at Shiro, who was waiting outside, and added, "Although hopefully we won't have to meet again. Not that I'm worried. As I said, Takashi's a model student."

* * *

"Are you two going to get married?"

Liva glanced towards the woman standing next to her - the grandmother of one of Shiro's friends - then turned to Akira. He wrapped his arm around her waist and answered for her. "We haven't made any decisions, yet. We both agreed to wait until after the baby's born so we can be sure that's not the only reason we're doing this."

"Smart," the woman chuckled. "Too many kids these days, off getting married before they know what to do with themselves. No wonder people are getting divorced left and right! Now, how far along are you darling?"

"About twenty-five weeks."

"Ah, right in the middle are you! Have they started kicking yet?"

"All the time," Liva chuckled, resting her hand on her stomach.

"May I?"

Liva nodded and the woman brushed her hand over her stomach. The woman chuckled as she felt the baby kick against her hand.

"I have three kids and seven grandkids and still, this never gets old," she sighed, pulling away. "How's little Takashi handling it?"

"He's thrilled. He hasn't stopped talking about his _little niece_. He even set aside a few of his stuffed animals for her," Akira laughed.

"That's good, especially if you two do end up getting married."

* * *

"Where is it? I know I had it on me when I left. It has to be here somewhere."

"Wrrrrrr?"

Liva only wasted a second to glance at Romelle before going back to work. "I'm looking for a vial. About this big, bright purple liquid inside, should be connected to a chain."

The caracal's head tilted to the side and she slipped into the pod to duck under a few boxes. When she pulled out again, she had a chain clenched in her teeth.

"Oh, you found it!" Liva ran over, as fast as she could with only a few weeks left until her due date, and took the vial.

Romelle nosed her leg and she looked down with a sad smile. "It's a surprise."

* * *

" _I still say I should go with you._ "

"It's fine, really. You've got work and Shiro's got school. I'll be okay. The doctor said both the baby and I are fine and showing no signs of complications."

" _I wish you could just stay and have the baby in town._ "

"I know, but even if my family's gone, I still want to follow their traditions. I won't be gone long and I'll call you everyday."

" _Alright. Is there anything you need before you go?_ "

"No, but thank you. I've got everything packed. I'm just waiting for my car now."

" _Be safe._ "

Liva froze, then let out a shaky sigh. "You too. I'll call you once I get there. Love you."

" _Love you too._ "

Liva hung up the phone and drooped in her seat. "It would be so much easier if I could just tell him." She looked over to where Romelle was sleeping before getting up to double check her bags. Once done, she pulled out her portable holoscreen and brought up the feed. "Only a few more weeks."

* * *

Red paced back and forth outside the pod. How long were these things supposed to take?

Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.

~Ugh! That's it! I'm going hunting,~ she hissed.

The pod doors swished open and Red was immediately in front of them. The droid Liva had modified beeped at her before turning around and floating back inside. Red followed it inside, past a small pile of bloody fabric to where Liva was lying curled up in a much larger pile with a small squirming thing tucked against her chest.

* * *

Red nosed Liva's leg, pushing her towards her seat, but the woman waved her off with a chuckle. "I'm fine!"

Red huffed and her ears pressed flat against her head. She turned away, her tail flicking back and forth, and slipped into the nest of blankets to curl around Kitten's small form.

"There, everything's complete. Now there's just one last thing to do." Red looked up as Liva approached. The woman tucked the papers from the machine she had set up months earlier into her bags and pulled out the vial Red had found for her weeks before.

Only now the liquid inside was a golden green color.

~What's that?~

Liva smiled and stroked her head before carefully picking Kitten up. The cub whimpered and shifted, his yellow eyes flicking open for only a second before he covered them with a whine. "Sorry, love. I know it's a little bright in here. Mama's not used to it so dark anymore. This will help. Open up."

Red was immediately on her feet as Liva opened the vial and brought it towards Kitten's face. ~What are you doing!?~

Liva gave her a sad smile. "It's okay, Romelle. This is just going to help Angel fit in. It won't hurt them."

Red shifted nervously as Liva poured the liquid into Kitten's mouth. She didn't like the feel of the liquid. It smelled like dark magic, like the witch that had been following around Reject. Liva wouldn't hurt the cub though, right?

Kitten whimpered again and shifted in Liva's arms. Suddenly, his ears began to shift, becoming small and rounded like a human's. The fluff of hair on top of his head darkened to pitch black. The vibrant lavender skin around his eyes and most of the splotches around his body changed to match the cream tone he'd gotten from his father. Finally his eyes opened and instead of the normal Galra yellow, his eyes were a shade of dark grey-blue-purple.

~What did you do?~ Red hissed as she sniffed at the cub.

She could barely even smell the Galra underneath all the human and magic! Wouldn't have if she hadn't been looking for it!

"Hey, it's still Angel, Romelle. They just need to look fully human if th- we're going to keep hidden."

* * *

Red's ears flicked at a knock from the front door, but ignored it in favor of watching Kitten gurgle in his sleep. She heard voices in the living room, then the bedroom door slowly opened.

"Quiet, Shiro. They are probably still asleep. And don't get too close, Romelle's been in full mother cat mode lately."

Red looked away from the pillow bed's occupant to see Shiro tiptoeing into the room. "Okay Liva," he quietly called as he turned to shut the door.

"Honestly, you'd think Angel was her's the way she's been acting," Red heard Liva sigh just before the door clicked closed.

What did Liva expect? She had used dark magic on her child! Clearly Red would have to step up to be a proper mother for Kitten!

Shiro tiptoed across the room, pausing halfway when he noticed Red watching him.

"H-hey, Romelle," he whispered. "It's okay, I just want to see the baby. Is that alright?" He knelt down and held out his hand.

Red eyed him and his hand, her tail slowly waving back and forth. She'd seen how rowdy human children could be, Shiro included, and her cub needed his rest. Human children could also be extremely clumsy. Although, Shiro didn't seem nearly as bad as the others. He was also kind and gave great scratches. Then there was the fact he felt like Black… Yes, she supposed she could trust Shiro with her cub.

As long as she watched him, that is.

~Fine,~ the caracal purred and turned back to Kitten. Shiro waited a moment before slowly creeping forward. He sat down next to Red and smiled down at Kitten. Red curled up against him and set her head on his knee.

* * *

"Hey bro," Shiro said before spooning more cereal into his mouth. "Can we get a cat?"

"Wouldn't you rather have a hamster? Or a pet rock?"

Shiro turned to his brother with a pout.

 _Ring. Ring. Ring._

"We'll talk about this later," he huffed.

"Or never," Akira teased before picking up the phone. "Hello, Shirogane residence."

Shiro sighed and turned back to the tv.

"WHAT?"

Shiro jumped at his brother's shout. He looked over his shoulder to see Akira frowning at the wall. He glanced over at Shiro then left the room.

The boy watched the door until Akira came back ten minutes later, calling out for Shiro to, "Grab your shoes."

"But school's not for ano-"

"Now, Takashi!"

Shiro's eyes widened and he ran off to get his shoes from his room.

Shiro shifted nervously in his seat and watched buildings flash by the windows of the car. His worries didn't let up when they pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. "Akira, what's going on?" he asked as they got out, but his brother just ushered him inside.

"Go sit over there and wait for me," Akira said, distracted, before rushing over to the reception area.

Shiro bit his lip and glanced towards the waiting area, before sneaking off after his brother. He ducked behind a plant when he saw Akira talking to a police officer.

"Any news?"

"No, but we're looking. We'll find her."

"But will she be alive?"

"Calm down, sir. We have reason to believe she is alive."

"The officer before said her apartment had been trashed."

"There were signs of a struggle, yes. But there were no signs of blood so her attackers either managed to subdue her or knocked her out."

"Or killed her."

"As I said-"

"Do you have any ideas yet about who did this?"

"I can't release-"

"What about Angel?"

"The baby was unharmed. She was found asleep, hidden under some blankets in the mother's bedroom closet. The assailants must have missed her. We probably would have too if we hadn't been looking and for that cat."

"Romelle. What happened to her?"

"Nearly attacked my partner when he opened the closet door. It seemed to calm down when it got a look at us though and fled out a window. That's when the baby woke up."

"And you said she's fine?"

"Yes, she was only brought to the hospital as a procation because of how young she is."

"Can I see her?"

"We have a few questions for you, but then you'll be able to take her as soon as the hospital allows it. It should only take a moment."

"Alright, let me just check on my brother-"

Shiro didn't hear the rest of Akira's words as he fled back to the waiting area. He grabbed a magazine at random and dropped into a chair just before his brother came into view.

"Shiro," he called and Shiro looked up from pretending to read the magazine. "I need to take care of something, okay. Don't go anywhere. If you need anything, just ask the lady behind the counter, alright."

"Okay, bro."

Shiro waited exactly one minute after his brother had left before tossing the magazine aside and calmly walking up to the reception counter. "'Scuse me, miss," he said in that soft, kiddy voice Shiro knew made women do stupid things.

Like clockwork, the woman looked down at him with a wide smile. "Oh, hello there sweetheart! What are you doing here all alone?"

"My brot'er had to go talk to the p'lice offercer, but he said you could get someone to take me to my baby nib' while I wait."

"I don't know…"

Shiro slumped his shoulders and pouted, giving the woman wide eyes. "Pweeeeease!"

"Oh, alright. Just give me a sec, cutey. What's your name?"

"Shiro."

"And your _nib'_?"

"Angel. Mun."

"Of course, the poor thing. Don't you worry, they'll find your sister soon enough."

Shiro nodded and forced himself not to start tapping his foot.

A man in a nurse's uniform walked up and the reception woman whispered something to him before saying, "Shiro, honey, this nice man is going to take you to your niece, okay?"

The boy gave her a big smile and replied, "Okay! T'ank you, miss!"

As soon as Shiro had been guided into an elevator and the nurse was distracted pressing the button, he dropped the act and rolled his eyes.

Why were adults so stupid? He was nine and nine months, not four!

Shiro followed the man through hallway after hallway until they reached a big glass window with a ton of baby beds on the other side.

"Wait right here, okay?" the nurse asked before ducking through a door. He returned a few seconds later with a woman holding a pink bundle.

The boy frowned when he spotted Angel's head peaking out of it. "Why is the blanket pink?"

"It's to help us keep track of the babies' genders," the woman said, kneeling down next to him. "Boys get blue blankets and girls get pink."

"Liva says we won't know what gender Angel is until they do, and that won't be until their older."

The woman's nose scrunched up like she smelt something bad and Shiro wondered if Angel's diaper needed to be changed.

The man laughed and Shiro gave him a confused look. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, little man. Liva is very smart."

"Smarter than her and the other people who work here, apparently," Shiro said, gesturing to the woman, who really needed to change Angel's diaper if her face was any indication. "You should give them a blue one. Or if it would be too confusing for you, red will work too. You should do it quickly though."

"Oh, why's that?" the man asked, still chuckling.

"Romelle hates pink."

"Romelle?"

"Our cat. She destroyed the pink blankets Sona's mama got us. She doesn't like most other color's either, but she's okay about yellow and green sometimes. Blue and red are her favorites though, especially blue."

"Well, your cat won't be allowed here so it won't matter," the woman snapped.

"But Angel is Romelle's baby! And Romelle is _really_ sneaky. She's probably already here. She doesn't like leaving Angel alone."

"Takashi!"

Shiro jumped and put on his most innocent expression as he turned to face his brother.

"I told you to stay in the waiting room."

"You also said I could ask the lady if I wanted anything. And I wanted to see Angel."

Akira set his hand on Shiro's shoulder and gave the look that meant he'd be going without tv for awhile.

* * *

Red flicked her tail as she passed over the vaporized remains of the pod.

She was going to kill Liva if they ever crossed paths again.

The caracal had been worried when she'd woken up inside the closet with Kitten to the sounds of breaking glass and other such destruction, but hadn't wanted to risk leaving and exposing her cub. So she'd waited, curled up with him underneath the mound of blankets and ready to pounce the moment someone unfriendly opened the door.

She was shocked when the door was opened by a human policeman. She was moreso when she jumped out of the closet, startling the human, only to find that the two human's scents were the only ones inside the apartment that she didn't recognize. Knowing the policemen were protectors, Red left Kitten in their hands so she could track down Liva.

Which led her to where she was now and the facts were easily put together. The pod had been self-destructed. There was evidence of the one-person stasis shuttle that had been in the back taking off. Only Liva's, Kitten's, and Red's scents were in the cave. Liva's scent was the one all over the apartment. Liva had trashed the apartment. Liva had left Earth.

Liva had left her cub and Red behind on Earth.

Red growled and swatted a loose rock away from her. She wasn't really angry that Liva had left her. The pull that had attracted her to the Galra woman was gone. Had been for a little over a month. Had been since shortly before she had stepped into the pod and first laid eyes on Kitten, though she hadn't realized at the time.

No, she was furious that the woman had abandoned her cub. Red had never had children, but she knew parents were meant to be protectors and that she understood.

You did not abandon the one you were most meant to protect.

The caracal growled again and stomped out of the cave. It seems she was right before. She would have to be the one to take care of Kitten.


	10. Defending the Cat-stle: Part 2

_"_ _Pidge, have you made it to the generator room?"_

The trio ran into the room and Pidge whispered, "I'm in." The girl looked around the room with wonder. "This technology is so advanced, I don't know if I can figure it out."

 _"_ _Yes, you can. The lives of your fellow paladins are at stake. You can't give up."_

When Pidge said nothing, Chip looked up at her paladin to see the different emotions she could feel surging through her flickering across the girl's eyes. ~Pidge?~ she rumbled.

Pidge blinked and looked down at her. She shook herself. "Okay. Talk me through it, Allura."

 _"_ _Shutting down the barrier from this room can be dangerous. Remember, the barrier is also a weapon. So, stay away from the energy arcs."_

"Don't touch the giant lightning bolts. Got it."

Chip's ears flicked as she heard something coming down the hall. She turned to see a group of sentinels charging towards them.

Rover must have sensed them as well as he started beeping nervously. One of the sentinels took aim and Chip dodged while Rover shoved Pidge out of the way.

 _"_ _Now, what I'm going to need you to do is-"_

Pidge screamed and the group ran away, ignoring Allura shouting into the comms.

 _"_ _Pidge! Hello? Are you there? Pidge, what's going on?"_

They took cover behind a control panel while Pidge brought up the castle's map again to find a means of escape. Chip let herself shrink back into housecat form as a blast just missed her tail while Rover nearly missed getting blasted by a shot when he peaked out. He sent the image to Pidge, showing an air vent big enough for the girl to climb into.

"My only way out is two floors up? Seriously?" she complained, looking towards the vent. She yelped and ducked back as a blast hit the control panel. She tapped at her gauntlet and brought up the hologram function she had discovered earlier while messing around. "Let's try this."

She created a hologram of herself and had it run across the hall and in front of one of the energy arcs.

"There!" one sentinel shouted and they fired at the hologram. It faded away and the lighting reacted to the blasts. Electricity arched outwards, frying three of the sentinels.

Pidge took her chance and dove around the control panel, making a run for the vent. She summoned her bayard before scooping up Chip. Her bayard formed into it's usual form before firing off like a grappling gun. The blade sunk into the ceiling just above the vent and Pidge was yanked across the floor and up to the vent. She grunted as she hit the wall before pushing herself up.

"Whoa! Can't believe that worked!" she cheered as Rover floated up to her and she released Chip.

The cat was a little stunned, but quickly snapped out of it as the group fled into the vent to avoid laserfire. They continued through the system until they reached a dead end. Pidge cut through the cover and the three came out into the training room. Chip shifted back into her leopard form as Pidge took the chance to breathe. Soon enough, they were running again.

They were halfway across the room when two sentinels busted through the glass of the observation area and landed in front of them. Pidge brought up her shield to protect herself and Rover while Chip dove to the side. The cat roared and leapt at one of the sentinels. She tried to bite the robot, but it managed to get a hand under her jaw to hold her off.

"Chip!" Pidge called out, just before she slid past. Chip jumped away and followed the girl. Pidge hit a button just in time to cause the robot Chip had been on to lose its arm as the invisible maze turned on.

Pidge opened another vent cover and the trio dove back into the system. One of the sentinels managed to follow them and the group scrambled through the vent as they tried to lose it.

~Pidge!~ Chip roared when the girl took a blast to the jetpack, causing her to fall down a shaft. Chip leapt after her, but the girl managed to use her bayard to stop her fall. Chip caught the side of the shaft with her claws, sliding down until she slowed enough that her claws could hold, and pressed herself close as Pidge knocked down the sentinel chasing them.

The girl nearly fell at the explosion and Chip got ready to catch her, but Rover slid under her back to support her.

"Rover! Nice save, buddy."

Rover beeped cheerfully.

Pidge got herself stable before looking down. "You okay, Chip."

~Fine,~ Chip called before using her claws to climb up to Pidge. ~Grab on.~

Pidge stared at her, confused, so the leopard nudged her arm with her head. Pidge put away her bayard then carefully wrapped her arms around Chip's neck. Once she was secure, she continued up the shaft until the reached the horizontal shaft Pidge had fallen from.

"Thanks girl," Pidge sighed as she slipped off Chip's back.

~Always,~ the leopard huffed and nuzzled the girl's cheek.

They checked to make sure Rover was with them before they all continued on through the ventilation system. Eventually they reached another dead end. When Pidge cut through the hatch, they found themselves in an empty corridor.

Pidge checked that they were clear before leaning against a pillar and sighing. She pulled off her helmet and stared down at it, sliding to the floor. Chip could tell that something was wrong, but let her paladin sort it out and busied herself with keeping watch, knowing whatever it was was something Pidge needed to work through on her own.

"You know," Pidge said and Chip turned to her. "I haven't always been there for my team." She slipped her helmet back on and met Chip's eyes. "But this time, I will be."

~That's my girl,~ Chip growled softly.

Pidge stood up and scratched Chip's ears. "Come on."

* * *

~Careful,~ Chip purred quietly, watching the Galra down by the control panel - Haxus from the sound of it - from her spot atop Rover as Pidge climbed a ladder up to an access panel.

Pidge pulled it open and hacked into it with her gauntlet. "Gotcha."

With the connection, she also gained access to the comm system the Galra were on.

 _"_ _Initializing complete. I'm set for main power up."_

 _"_ _The bridge is go."_

 _"_ _Powering up."_

"And up, and up, and up," Pidge muttered, raising the power levels. "I would not want to be touching a metal surface when this thing overloads."

 _Bwee! Bwee! Bwee! Bwee!_

 _"_ _Sir, something is wrong."_

The system overloaded and sent a pulse of electricity across the room. Haxus screamed as he was shocked while Pidge jumped onto Rover to avoid the pulse. He flew them down to the catwalk.

Chip jumped off when they got near, shifting to leopard form mid-jump.

Haxus looked up when they landed and glared. "You're the ones causing all this trouble? A child and an animal?"

"I'm not a child. I'm a Paladin of Voltron."

~And I'm no mere animal!~

Haxus chuckled and drew a sword. "Let me tell you something, child. I'm a soldier of the Galra Empire. Nothing stops me but triumph or death." He charged and Pidge ducked.

Chip leapt at him, managing to scratch his armor with her claws before falling back to avoid his blade.

Pidge shot her bayard at him, but he caught the blade and wrapped the cord around his sword. He used to it toss the girl towards the control panel.

~Pidge!~ Chip roared and leapt at the Galra's back, only for him to roll to the side. She placed herself between Pidge and Haxus as her paladin got to her knees.

"Nowhere left to run. Nowhere left to hide," Haxus jeered as he approached.

Rover flew up behind the Galra and beeped loudly, distracting him.

"Chip, down!"

Chip followed her command without a thought and Pidge rolled over her back. The girl used the cord from her bayard to hook Haxus' ankle and trip him. He stumbled back. When his feet hit Chip, she lifted up, sending him tumbling over the edge.

Chip was about to roar in victory before she spotted the hand barely clinging to the catwalk. Before girl or cat could move, Rover shot forward and slammed into the hand.

Haxus fell screaming into the abyss below.

Pidge and Chip stared at the drone as it let out a cheerful tune before Pidge started laughing. "We won!"

~Victory!~ Chip roared, moving forward to nuzzle the drone. ~Good little robot.~

 _"_ _Haxus, report in."_

The group fell silent immediately and Pidge glared at the control panel. Right, they weren't finished yet. She ran up to it and announced, "Haxus is gone, and you're next!"

"You've slowed me down, but this ship is mine! You will turn yourself over to me immediately!"

"Never!"

~We'll never surrender, coward!~ Chip roared.

 _"_ _Well, then, maybe your leader can convince you."_

 _"_ _What do you want?"_

 _"_ _Your friend wanted to hear from you."_

"Shiro?"

 _"_ _Pidge? Pidge, don't listen to-"_

Chip shook as Ryou's paladin cut off with a scream. She was going to tear him apart!

"No!" Pidge shouted.

 _"_ _You can make it stop. Turn yourself in,"_ Sendak demanded as Shiro fell silent. _"_ _His suffering is in your hands."_

* * *

Pidge ducked down on one side of the door to the bridge while Chip and Rover set down on the other. Chip and Pidge met eyes before Pidge nodded. Chip nodded back and shifted her form into that of a vicx and slipped inside the room. She crawled across the floor and over to Ryou. She ducked behind his paw when Sendak approached and she saw Pidge and Rover dive out of sight.

The Galra stood over the unconscious paladins and Chip snorted when he started monologuing like a villain from one of Pidge's tv shows. ~ _He starts monologuing! He starts, like, this prepared speech about how_ ** _feeble_** _I am compared to him, how_ ** _inevitable_** _my defeat is, how the_ ** _world_** _will_ ** _soon_** _be_ ** _his_** _! Yadda, yadda, yadda_ ,~ she buzzes as she climbs up to Ryou's neck. She checks on Sendak, who has moved back to the control panel Coran normally uses, before stinging Ryou with her tail.

~Wassit?~ the liger grumbled, shifting.

Chip looked up, but Sendak didn't seem to notice. She climbed over to Ryou's ear and hissed, ~Sh! Ryou, wake up! But be quiet! We're here to rescue you!~

His eyes flickered open and he looked around, his pupils dilated from the shot of adrenalin, before closing them. ~Who's we?~ he huffed quietly.

~Pidge, Rover, and I, now sh. I need to wake up Blue.~ She jumped off him and scuttled over to Blue.

Before she could reach him though, Sendak's boot slammed down just in front of her.

"Disgusting vermin!" he growled.

~Quiznak!~ she squeaked and scrambled away.

He raised his foot again, but paused as he spotted something. He growled and ran off.

Chip peaked around Ryou in time to see him chasing what she assumed to be Pidge's hologram. She was proven right a second later when Pidge ran in. "Shiro, wake up," she said as she knelt next to his side with Rover. "It's me, Pid-"

The girl cut off as a giant hand grabbed her, dragging her across the room and lifting her up in front of Sendak.

Chip cursed the vicx's horrible senses as Ryou leapt to his feet, bindings falling right through him. ~Let her go!~ he roared just as Keith and Allura ran into the room.

"Stand back!" Sendak ordered, holding the captured Green Paladin between himself and them.

Suddenly a blast slammed into his shoulder, causing him to drop the girl. Lance smirked before falling back unconscious.

Shiro and Ryou rushed the Galra, but both were knocked back. Keith went at him with his bayard and the two traded blows before Sendak managed to pin him with his enhanced hand. Pidge took the chance and used her bayard to slice the energy arc, severing his connection to the hand.

"No!" he screamed before charging Pidge, attacking with his legs and remaining arm.

Scuttling over to take cover near Blue, Chip could admit she really shouldn't have found the situation as hilarious as she did. She blamed Monty Python.

The girl managed to get the cord of her bayard wrapped around his ankle. She turned on the taser function, shocking him. Keith tried to get a hit in, but the Galra managed to grab his sword even with the electrocution.

"Keith, now!" Allura called from the control panel.

Keith used Sendak's grip on his sword to lift himself up, slamming his feet into the Galra's gut to both make him release his bayard and to knock Sendak back as a particle barrier rose around the center platform. He growled and slammed against the barrier, but it held.

With that, Allura came over to where Blue and Chip were to help him out of his bindings as Chip woke him up, Pidge dropped down next to Shiro to cut through his handcuffs as Ryou watched, and Keith knelt next to Lance and Merla. He held out his hand to the boy, helping him sit up as he slid his other arm behind Lance to support him. "Lance, are you okay?"

Lance groaned before looking up at Keith. "We did it. We are a good team."

~Aw! You two are adorable,~ Merla purred staring at the two.

Keith flushed and sent the cat a glare. "And how are you feeling?"

~Like dwylip, you?~

~Lance!~ Blue huffed, coming up to lick a giant streak up his paladin's face.

"Blue," Lance sighed. His free hand - he and Keith were still holding hands, Merla noted with a chirp - came up and scratched the tiger's chin. "Good to see you too."

"We need to get you both in a cryo-pod," Keith said, looking over at Allura. "Can we trust that crystal?"

"I don't know," Allura said, glancing at it.

"Let's not chance it," Shiro said, shuffling forward with help from Ryou and Pidge.

The control panel started flashing and Allura ran up to it. "It looks like we won't have to. Hunk and Coran are coming in. Hopefully they have a new crystal."

~What about him?~ Chip growled, back in her leopard form and glaring at Sendak through the barrier.

The group looked over at her and Keith asked, "What are we going to do with Sendak?"

"We have a detainment room in the lower levels."

"How do we get him there though?" Pidge asked. "Knock-out gas?"

"Do we have Galra tranq darts?" Keith added.

"A frying pan?" Pidge offered.

"I… don't know about that," Allura said, bemused. "There is this though." Allura tapped at the control panel and a buzzing came over the room's speakers.

Merla's ears twitched and she turned to Keith. ~I don't like that sound. I hurt! Let's go to the infirmary!~

Blue sent her a confused look.

Keith frowned, but nodded. "I'm going to take Lance and Merla to the infirmary so we can get them in the cryo-pod as soon as they're ready."

"Good idea. Do you need some help?" Allura offered.

Keith shook his head. He gently set Merla in Lance's lap before picking the boy up, one arm under Lance's knees and the other behind his back. "Let me know as soon as they can go in," Keith said before carrying the two out of the room, Blue at his side.

The farther they got from the room, the quieter the buzzing got. Keith sighed when he finally couldn't hear the noise. Merla was right, the noise was annoying. Like a pressure on his head, making his mind feel fuzzy.

When they reached the infirmary, he set the two down carefully. Lance had drifted off again and Merla was nearly there too. Keith sat next to them to wait and Blue curled up on the other side.

Shortly after they got there the power flicked off. A slightly longer time than that later, the lights came back on, a clean blue-white.

 _"_ _Keith?"_ Allura called through the comms.

"I'm here."

 _"_ _We've got the new crystal connected. We're running a few scans to make sure the Galra crystal didn't interfere with anything. Coran's on his way so as soon as the scans are finished he can help you put them in."_

"Alright."

As she said, Coran appeared soon after and the two loaded Lance and Merla into the cryo-replenishers. Keith was concerned about how the device would work on Merla, all things considered, but Coran said it should be fine. Once the two were settled, Coran left to continue with repairs. Keith thought he should probably go as well, but he couldn't find it in him to leave. A glance at Blue showed he felt the same.

Allura, Shiro, and Pidge found them there, curled up in front of the pods. Ryou and Chip came over to offer Blue comfort while Shiro helped Keith to his feet.

Keith glanced at the pods and asked Allura, "Are they going to be okay?"

The princess checked something on the control panel and said, "After a day in here, they should be fully healed."

They all expressed their relief.

Then Shiro turned to Pidge and a shadow crossed his face. "Pidge," he said, catching the girl's attention. "We can't thank you enough for all you did. I can't help but feel that you were meant to be a part of our team… but I understand if you want to leave."

Keith felt something lodge in his throat. With everything that had happened, he had forgotten that she had planned to leave. Similar emotions flashed through Allura and the cats and Chip took a hesitant step towards the girl.

Pidge looked down at the leopard and smiled. "Dad used to tell me how close he was with his crew members. They were like family." She looked up at Shiro, who was smiling as well. "Now I understand what he was talking about. I'm staying with you guys. Let's stop Zarkon for all of our families."

Relief flooded the others once more and Keith said, "Good to have you back on the team."

~Pidge!~ Chip called as she tackled the girl. She licked her cheek before nuzzling all over her face. Pidge laughed and half-heartedly shoved at the cat as the others watched.

* * *

 **End Part 2**


	11. Tail As Old As Time

**Cat of a Different Color**

 **Part 3: Beauty and the Beast**

The team begins their journey to free the universe from Zarkon's rule. First up, a Balmeran named Shay... 

Oh, along with her people and the Balmera they live on.

* * *

When Hunk and Pua stumbled into the pod bay, Coran was already inside a pod, tapping at the controls while Pidge and Chip hung over the side.

"Where did you go?" Pidge asked as they walked up.

"Had to pick up something," Hunk said, gesturing towards Pua as he climbing up into the pod.

The three were surprised to see the armor the lion was wearing. "Where did you get that?" Pidge asked, hopping down to circle Pua, looking over the armor. It technically looked like the armor Coran had given Merla and Ryou when they'd raided Sendak's ship for the Red Lion, but it was painted like Hunk's armor, only with the yellow portions switched with the white on the chest and hind legs. His shoulders were also painted red and the lower portion of the helmet yellow.

"Lance. He made armor for all of them. Something about sidekicks, I think. I figured if Pua was coming with us without the Yellow Lion, he should have some protection."

"Where's Chip's?"

"I don't know. Lance just gave me Pua's once it was finished. We were going to try it on him later, but… this happened."

"Aha!" Coran exclaimed and the four turned to him. "It's our first bit of luck. There's a source not too far. We won't need a wormhole to get there, thankfully."

Pua huffed and climbed into the Pod behind Coran and Hunk.

Pidge stared at the armor for another moment before refocusing. She climbed back up the pod to point at the screen in front of Hunk. "I made some modifications to the shuttle. The first change is a cloaking device that I reverse-engineered from the invisible walls on the training deck. The second is a tank of booster fuel that I mounted on the fuel line."

"Using that during flight would turn the whole pod into a bomb!" Coran shouted.

Hunk and Pua each shot the girl a look, whimpering.

Pidge gave them a nervous grin. "Okay. Maybe you shouldn't use that modification after all."

~Not your brightest moment,~ Chip sighed.

Hunk turned to Coran and asked, "We ready to hit it?"

"Right. Let's go."

Pidge and Chip stepped back as Coran started the engines. The windshield formed as the the pod lifted up.

"Good luck," Pidge called and gave Hunk a thumbs up, which he returned.

The pod shot out of the bay and up into the sky. As they left the atmosphere, Hunk began tapping his fingers against his cuisses.

"So," he hummed. "How far are we going?"

"Oh, not far. As I said, we don't even need a wormhole."

"Yeah, but exactly how far? How long is this trip going to be?"

"Oh, I'd say about a varga, maybe two."

"A varga?"

"Fifty-five doboshes."

"Uh…"

~An hour,~ Pua huffed. He tried to scratch his neck and frowned when he couldn't feel anything through the armor.

"Can I get that in English?"

"Een-ga-lish? Is that your language?"

"Yeah… What are you speaking?"

"Cavni Altean, an offshoot of Royal Altean."

"Well it sounds like English."

"That would be the translation system. A wonder of Olkari diplomatic technology. It can translate any spoken language loaded into the system, allowing you to hear my words in your language."

"That's amazing! But wait, how do you have English loaded in the system?"

"No idea. Perhaps someone visited Earth and cataloged the language. It's a universal system, so anyone could have added it before you arrived at the castle."

"Wait, so aliens have seriously visited Earth? Like, in real life? The crazy foil people are right?"

"Foil people?" Coran asked while Pua gave a chuffing laugh.

"Nevermind. It's nothing," Hunk muttered. "So a varga?"

"Oh, yes, well… a varga should be little longer than one of your Earth hours."

"So we're stuck in here for somewhere between one to two hours?"

"Yes."

Hunk groaned and slid down slightly in the chair. Pua growled in agreement. "You wouldn't happen to have road trip games or something in here?"

"Road trip games?"

"Wonderful."

* * *

"... -nk… -un-... Hunk!"

"Huh, what?" Hunk asked, jerking up.

"We're almost there. I thought you'd want to be awake."

Hunk hummed and looked out the window. As the pod flew up to a large yellow-green orb, he asked, "Is this the Balmera planet with the crystals?"

"It's not a planet. Balmera are ancient animals. Petrified, but still alive. Their bodies naturally create the crystals that help power many Altean ships." Coran hit a button and a display came up, fist showing the outline of a Balmera, then a picture of a glittering landscape. "I often accompanied my grandfather to visit these majestic creatures when he was building the Castle of Lions. I'll never forget the first time I saw the sparkling surface of a Balmera. You're in for quite a treat!"

The display fell away just as the pod slipped below the clouds. The two were met with the sight of not the glittering crystals from the photo, but barren rock and giant chasms interspersed with hulking machines boasting the typical purple lights of Galra technology.

"Oh, no. This is horrifying. The Galra have turned this into a mining colony! They're completely destroying it! They have no regard for the poor creature!"

An alarm started blaring as a Galra ship appeared on the radar.

~What time is it?~ Pua yawned, sitting up from where he had curled up behind the pilots' chairs.

"Uh-oh. We've been spotted."

Pua sat up straight as a voice announced over the enemy ship's intercoms, _"_ _Hailing unidentified craft. State your ship ID, entry code, and landing destination."_

"Oh, no. What do we do?"

~Does this thing have weapons?~

"Just stay calm." Coran turned on their own system and replied, "We don't really need to land. Uh, we're just looking around, if that's okay."

 _"_ _Unidentified craft, land immediately and prepare to be boarded."_

"Okay. Thank you. See you down below."

Coran slammed on the reverse and they shot backwards. Hunk screamed as they went into a spin and Pua scrambled to brace himself so he wouldn't be thrown about.

Coran swerved around laser fire before diving down a mine shaft as he shouted, "Not done yet. Hang on!"

Hunk's screams slowly lost energy as their nosedive just kept going. Finally he stopped and looked at Coran. "How deep is this thing?" Suddenly the light from the pod caught a web of girders. "Oh, no, no, no!" Hunk shouted as Coran tried to fly around them, but one of the wings hit a metal beam. Thankfully they were only a few feet off the ground. The crash was jarring, but they weren't injured.

~Is this what it feels like to be in a crash? That was terrible!~ Pua groaned rolling onto his feet.

Hunk pulled his helmet off and was turning to look at Pua when he spotted something.

"Coran, what lives at the bottom of these mines?" he asked.

The Altean turned to follow his gaze, but instead got a faceful of yellow armor as Pua shoved forward to see what his paladin was looking at. He stood up and he saw two figures standing in the gloom of a cave. The trio jumped out of the pod and Hunk summoned his bayard.

~Stay back,~ Pua growled as the figures started to approach. He unsheathed his claws and the armor reacted in turn.

"Okay, don't come any closer!" Hunk whimpered, raising his energy cannon at the figures. "I don't know how to use this very well."

The figures finally stepped into the light, revealing themselves to be bipedal creatures with reptilian skin and rock-like horns.

"Wait a minute. You're not Galra."

"Nor are you," the smaller said.

A buzzing came from above and the group looked up to see a ship floating down into the cavern.

The smaller one gasped as the larger said, "A patrol! Shay, we must take leave from these ones, now." They turned away and set their hand on the shoulder of the smaller one, Shay.

"Wait, please!" Coran called out, making them pause. "We need your help. If the Galra find us, they'll kill us."

"Or torture us," Hunk added.

"Or keep us as some sort of creepy pet to play with how they please."

~Are you feeling alright?~ Pua huffed, sending the Altean a look.

"Not our problem, Hairy Lip," the larger said. "Galra see us near you and they kill both you and us. Shay, exeunt!"

"No!" Shay objected. "These many years only Galra have been seen here. I will not turn my back on the skylings."

"Vex!" the larger hissed before running over to the pod. They went to one side and Shay to the other. "Grab a side."

The trio quickly helped grab hold of the pod, Coran next to the larger and Hunk next to Shay with Pua going around back to push.

"In here. Hurry!" the larger called as they dragged, pushed, and carried the pod until it was far enough inside the cave that the ship wouldn't see them.

Hunk put away his bayard and turned to the strangers. "Thanks for saving us. I'm Hunk."

"Shay. And this one, my brother Rax. How did you fall to us?"

"Well, we came looking for something. And you guys might be the right people to help us find it."

The ship made another pass by the cave and Rax said, "Not here."

Hunk glanced at Coran and then nodded. Shay and Rax led the three through the caves until they reached what seemed to be a communal area. More of the strange aliens - Balmerans? - looked up at them and Shay went over to explain.

An elderly Balmeran came up to them with a smile and offered them bowls of soup before gesturing towards some rocks near a fire.

"Thank you," Coran said.

Hunk nodded, taking two bowls and setting one down for Pua. Hunk sat down as the others all came to sit around the fire. He smelled the soup and smiled, "Thanks for the delicious soup. Are these potatoes in here?"

"Grandma's special dish for special visitors," Shay said. "Cave-root for the skin. Cave bugs for the soul."

Hunk gagged and Pua snorted. First plants now bugs? He missed Earth food.

"Oh!" Coran said, looking just as thrilled as the Earthlings. "Thank you for the bugs."

The elderly Balmeran smiled and poured some more soup into his bowl.

"O-okay, I think that's too many."

"So, how many of you are down here?" Hunk asked.

An older Balmeran spoke up. "There are thousands here on Balmera. We work and live in these mines."

"We harvest crystals for Zarkon," Shay added.

Hunk and Pua both growled the emperor's name. "That's so… sad that he's enslaved an entire planet."

"Zarkon may rule, but we still have family. That's where true happiness comes from," the older Balmeran said.

Rax snorted and stood. "Galra would tear our family asunder if they found these ones. Everyone comes to Balmera and takes, but gives nothing in return."

"In the past, those who took the Balmera's crystals would replenish her with energy," Shay explained. "It was an equal exchange. But the Galra only take. It is no wonder we can feel her suffering." She placed her hand on the ground and it glowed. A whale like moan came from around them.

Hunk frowned and looked around at the family. "I'm sorry that we put everyone in this situation, but the faster we get the crystal and get out, the faster everyone is out of danger."

"We're looking for a battleship-class crystal," Coran requested.

The older Balmeran shook his head. "Battleship-class crystal? Those are most rare. Galra soldiers guard them ceaselessly until their harvest. Your quest is in vain."

"There is one, found only weeks ago. It is almost excavated."

"Quiet!" Rax hissed at his sister. "Even if they could steal the crystal from the Galra, battle patrols wait to take down their ship. These ones have no chance of getting out of here alive, with crystal or without."

Hunk turned to Coran. "Okay, so this crystal we need is basically the hardest thing in the universe to get."

Coran hummed. "Well I don't know about the hardest. There is the scaultrite mineral found only in the stomachs of giant weblums. Collecting that stuff's no picnic."

Pua frowned as a foreboding feeling briefly filled him.

"Uh, but, yes, this seems very difficult."

"You may stay here until Balmera gives another crystal," Shay offered. "One that is hidden from Galra eyes."

"We don't have that kind of time. I got an injured friend who needs to get into a magic healing machine, stat."

"Hunk, you fix the pod," Coran urged. "I'm going to do some reconnaissance and see if I can come up with another plan."

Hunk nodded and finished his soup.

Pua sent the food a glare but did the same before standing up. ~I think I'll have a look around too,~ he growled softly, nudging his paladin before following Coran.

"Don't wander too much, Pua," Hunk called.

Pua followed their scents back to the Pod. He shrunk into his housecat form and was surprised when the armor did the same. ~Right, Altean tech,~ he chuckled. He started exploring the caves around the pod, keeping an eye out for any Galra, but the sentinels he saw only seemed to patrol the areas near crystals, which were quite a ways from the pod. When Pua eventually returned, Hunk was working on it as Shay watched.

"A child's tale," Shay was saying.

"It's real. I'm one of the paladins, and Voltron is going to defeat Zarkon."

"You are?"

"Stop filling this one's head with your shadow show!" Rax barked. "The cavern is our home. This will never change. Come."

Shay sent Hunk an apologetic look before following her brother.

Pua saw Hunk frown and came up to wrap around his legs, purring.

Hunk knelt down to scratch under his chin. "There you are. Where have you been?" He blinked, then his eyes widened. "Did you armor shrink with you?"

~Yup,~ Pua chuffed. He shifted back into a lion, his armor growing with him.

"Well that's… convenient." Hunk turned back to the pod. Pua watched him work for a few moments before he shut the compartment. "Finished. Now we just need the crystal. Do you know where Coran went?"

Pua ducked his head.

"Maybe he went back to Shay's," Hunk hummed and the two headed down the tunnel. When they got there, Coran was standing with Shay and Rax.

"Is your ship repaired that you may depart our presence?" Rax snapped as they walked up.

"Uh, are you saying that you want us to leave?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's working, but we can't leave without the crystal." Hunk turned to Coran. "You come up with any ideas how to get it?"

"Actually, yes."

* * *

Pua snorted as as Hunk scrambled to keep his feet with Coran on his shoulders. ~This is never going to work,~ he called quietly, weaving around stalagmites as a house cat.

"I can't believe I'm the legs again. I'm the one who took down the guard. I should get to be the head."

"Shh! Legs don't talk." Hunk and Coran approached a pair of sentinels guarding a crystal and Coran said, "Oh, hello, gentlemen, shift's over. Boss needs you back at the guard shack."

The sentinels looked at each other before one said, "Verify identification code."

Coran stuck out one of the robotic arms they'd taken from the sentinel they'd destroyed earlier - the wrong one Pua noted - and waved it about. "Right. I didn't want to have to do this, but I'm going to have to pull rank. You guys are in big trouble, right? So, hand over those blasters and ID badges."

The sentinels pointed their guns at the two. "Verify identification code or be destroyed."

"Okay, okay. I've got it right… here!" Coran threw aside the robot pieces and the cloth they'd wrapped around themselves to reveal Hunk aiming his bayard at the sentinels. Coran pointed at the boy as he fired on the sentinels, taking them down.

Coran jumped off Hunk's shoulders and ran up to the crystal. He placed his hands on it and it began to glow.

"What are you doing? We got to hurry!"

"I'm not just going to pry this out of here like some Galra monster. The Balmera is a sacred being. You have to communicate with it. Let your life forces connect. This is the way it was done in our time."

"Whoa. You really know your Balmeras."

Pua's ears twitched and he turned. ~Hunk!~

The crystal stop glowing and the rock holding it up crumbled away. Coren jumped forwards to catch it when it began to tip over and he grunted under the strain. He suddenly flinched and his head slowly turned to Hunk. "I think I'm broken."

Hunk sighed, then froze at the sound of laser guns charging up. "Huh?"

Pua ducked down behind a stalagmite while his paladin turned to see a group of sentinels behind him, guns at the ready.

Coran stumbled towards them as he slurred, "Okay, guys! All right, I hate to do this. Blasters and badges. Come on. Give them up."

He fainted.

Hunk gave the group a nervous smile and held up his hands.

Pua watched as the two were apprehended and dragged away. He couldn't take all those guards on his own. Even if he could buy Hunk enough time to get his bayard again, they were both built for strength, not speed. They wouldn't be able to get away with Coran in tow. They needed help.

An idea occurred and Pua shot off after sending Hunk one last look. There was no one in Shay's home when he reached it, but he managed to track the girl's scent to where she and a few other unfamiliar Balmerans were being herded about. Pua was trying to figure out how to approach the girl when the sentinels did his job for him and separated the girl from the others. He wasn't close enough to hear what they said to her, but she headed off on her own.

He followed her until he was sure they were out of the sentinels' view.

~Shay,~ he called, slipping out of the shadows and to her side.

The Balmeran jumped and looked down at him. "You are Hunk's friend. I heard he was captured. Is that why you are small?"

~He was,~ Pua whined, then looked up at her with wide eyes. ~I need your help.~

She stared down at him in confusion.

He slipped ahead of her and sat in front of her, making her stop.

She tilted her head to the side. "You are… asking for my help?"

~Yes,~ he purred, walking over to nuzzle her.

Shay glanced around. "I can help. Follow."


	12. Re-purr-n Home

**I just realized, I think I've referenced it a few times, but never actually said it. Both Keith and Lance are ADHD in this.**

* * *

Pua was surprised when Shay led him back to where the crystal was. He stayed hidden while she approached the sentinels standing guard.

"I have been assigned to move the crystal."

"Take it straight to the collection bay," the sentinel ordered stepping aside.

"Right away." The girl picked up the crystal and lugged it back down the tunnel.

Pua met up with her again once they were clear. He realized what she was doing as they turned down the passage towards the pod. When they reached it, Pua hopped inside and opened the cargo hold.

"There. Now we need only to find Hunk and set him free," Shay said after she set the crystal inside and Pua closed it back up. "They should be in the cells. Come it is this way. We must stay hidden though."

Pua purred an agreement and stuck close to the girl as they snuck through the caves. When they reached the prison hold, they spotted a pair of sentinels guarding the doors.

"We need one to open the cells."

~Right,~ Pua growled. He snuck closer then shifted into his lion form. The flash of light caught the guards attention, but Pua was on them before they could fire. He jumped on one, clawing his chest, before tackling the other. He grabbed it's neck in his jaws and pulled. He didn't have the strength to cut right, but he damaged it enough that the robot stayed down. Her heard the second start to get up, but before he could turn there was a crunching noise. When he did look, it was to see the sentinel's head smashed in and Shay standing over it with a large rock.

~Oh, I like you!~

"We need only a hand," Shay explained, picking up the sentinel and together they ripped it's forearm off. Shay held the hand in front of the panel next to the door and it opened.

The two cautiously crept through the new tunnel until they heard Coran's voice.

"Someone's coming."

They walked up to the cell the Altean and human were held in and Hunk jumped to his feet.

"Pua! Shay?"

Shay used the hand to open the cell and said, "Make haste to your pod. The crystal is prepared for departure."

"How did you get the crystal?" Coran asked.

"I was assigned to take it to the upper levels, but instead I took it down. Soon, they will discover my ruse. Time is short."

Shay moved to run, but Hunk grabbed her shoulder. "Why are you helping us? You'll get in trouble."

"Because your words touched my heart. I wish for freedom for all Balmera. Perhaps your Voltron can make it so."

~We need to go!~ Pua growled and the group started moving.

"Hey Shay, what's with the arm?"

The Balmeran looked down at it, then held it out. "Galra are sneaky. They make their doors so only Galra or Galra energy can open them, both here and on their ships."

"That's… pretty smart. Too bad they're the bad guys."

The group rushed through the caves, only to find an army of sentinels waiting for them.

Shay spotted her brother among them and said, "No. Rax, why?"

"These three bring only trouble to our family. It was the only way to protect you."

Hunk growled and summoned his bayard, but was stopped by Shay.

"No! The Balmera will save us." She set her hand on ground and it glowed.

"Shay, no!" Rax yelled as the Balmera groaned around them. Giant boulders fell from the ceiling, crushing many of the sentinels.

The remaining pushed through the rubble and opened fire. The group tried to dodge, but one managed to catch Shay with a snare.

"Shay!" Hunk yelled, spinning around.

"Go! Make haste!" she called as she was dragged to a trio of the robots.

"Let her go!" he shouted as he moved to run to her rescue

"No, Hunk! We have to go!"

He turned to see more sentinels arriving along with a ship. He jumped into the pod and called out, "I'll come back for you, Shay! I promise!"

Pua jumped in behind him and the windshield formed.

They lifted up. Coran saw the ship blocking one of the cave's entrances and said, "If we can't shake these patrols, we might be back here sooner than we want!" He turned the pod to the other opening and shot through. They shot upwards with the other Galra ships following. "We can't shake them! We're not going to make it!"

Hunk looked around. He spotted the panel in front of him and his finger came up to hover over the booster button.

"Uh, it may turn us into a giant fireball," Coran reminded him nervously.

"Maybe, but it's our only chance."

Coran spotted more Galra ships entering the mining shaft and said, "Fine. Fire in the hole!"

Hunk hit the button. Pua fell backwards as the pod blasted forward. Galra ships were thrown to the side as they shot past, some crashing into the sides of the chasm and exploding. The ship rocked as a result, but still managed to make it out.

Hunk and Coran cheered as they left the Balmera's atmosphere. "We did it!"

~That's it. I'm only ever flying in myself from now on. I finally understand your motion sickness,~ Pua groaned. He slowly rolled to his feet. ~Never again!~

Hunk sent the lion a worried look. "You okay?"

~I need cuddles,~ Pua whined, shifting into house cat form and climbing into Hunk's lap.

Hunk smiled and pulled off the cat's armor to stroke his back.

* * *

"Is the castle… purple?" Hunk asked once they'd made it past Arus's clouds.

"That's not good," Coran muttered, hailing the castle.

~I can feel the others. Merla's still hurt, but everyone else feels okay,~ Pua purred, nuzzling under Hunk's chin comfortingly.

"We've been granted access," Coran said.

"Pua doesn't seem too worried," Hunk noted.

"That's a good sign, because right now the castle is reading as a Galra ship."

Hunk whimpered, staring out the window as the approached the castle. Thankfully when they slid into the pod bay, Pidge and Chip were there to greet them.

"Please tell me you got the crystal," she said as soon as they had set down.

"We did, but why's the castle purple," Hunk asked as he jumped out.

"You missed quite the party," Pidge chuckled as she walked around to the Cargo hold. "I'll explain later. Right now, let's get the crystal plugged in."

The five - mostly Chip, Pua, and Hunk - carried the crystal up to the bridge. With Allura's help they quickly got the Galra crystal swapped out for the new one.

"Can we take this?" Pidge asked after Allura gave Keith an update. "I'd like to study it."

"Yeah, how do you think they make it purple? What side effects does it have? How do you think it affects the composition? The energy output? Is it stronger or weaker than a normal crystal?" Hunk agreed, looking over the Galra crystal.

"I don't see why not, as long as you both are careful," Allura said, sending the crystal a disgusted look.

"Sweet! Hunk, could you take it down to Chip's hanger? I've got some gear set up in there already. I need to help Allura with the scans, but I'll meet you down there as soon as we're done."

"Sure!"

* * *

Pidge and Hunk yawned as they stumbled into the galley, Chip and Pua sleeping draped over Hunk's shoulders.

"Morning," Hunk greeted. "Any news on Lance or Merla."

"No, but Keith and Blue were with them all night so they'd let us know if something went wrong," Coran said.

"They were there all night?" Pidge questioned.

"We couldn't find it in us to drag them away," Allura said. "You both know how connected you are to your lions. I can't imagine how they feel."

"Ryou and I made sure they had pillows and blankets so they'd sleep. Unlike the two of you, apparently," Shiro said, sending the two and the dark bags under their eyes a disappointed look.

Pidge shrugged, unapologetically. "That crystal was interesting. Rover's keeping an eye on it right now."

Hunk was far more repentant, ducking his head and scratching his neck. "We did get some sleep… a little. A few hours, maybe. I'm going to get some goo."

The team ate their breakfast before heading to the infirmary. When they got there, Keith was leaning against the still sleeping Blue and staring up at the cryo-pods. He stood up when they came in and watched Allura check the control panel. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, they should both be getting out soon," Allura said. She came up to Lance's pod and brought up his information. The other paladins all crowded around her as she checked it.

Pidge pressed her face up against the pod.

"I can't tell if he looks healthy or not," Hunk said.

"I think he's breathing weird," the girl added.

"Oh, come on!" Keith huffed, tapping the glass.

Allura slapped his hand away. "Not yet! A few more ticks."

"How much better do you think he's gonna get in a few more ticks?"

~I want my paladin,~ Blue agreed with a yawn, sleepily nudging Hunk to the side as she pressed forward to look at Lance.

"Woah," Pidge gasped as the tiger slipped beneath her, tossing her onto her back so she could see. Once she steadied herself, the girl glared down at Blue and yanked her ear.

Blue huffed at the pain, but otherwise ignored Pidge.

The girl kicked Blue's foreleg then turned to Allura. "What exactly is a tick?"

"You know, a time slice."

"Like a second?" Shiro asked.

"What is a _second_?"

Pidge pulled a timer out of her pocket. She started it and held it up. "Like this."

Allura watched the timer. "I'm not sure. I think ticks are bigger. Coran, do you have a ticker?"

The group looked up to Coran and the man held up a device. "Right here, Princess."

Hunk and Pidge came up to see a clock-like design on the device slowly clicking counterclockwise. "I think ticks are a little slower," Hunk said.

Pidge glanced between her timer and the ticker. "I can't tell. We have to start them at the same time."

Everyone crowded around as Coran and Pidge held the devices next to each other.

"Okay. Ready, go!"

"Yes! I think we're winning!" Hunk cheered as the two devices beeped away, the ticker the smallest bit slower than the timer.

"Winning what? The intergalactic time-measuring competition?" Keith snorted.

"Yes."

"You guys having a clock party?"

The group gasped and turned to see Lance standing behind them.

"Aw, Lance, you just ruined it," Hunk groaned. He turned to the boy and blinked. "Hey, Lance!" Chip and Pua hopped off his shoulders as Hunk scooped his friend into a hug before letting the drowsy boy lean on him.

~Lance!~ Blue cheered, taking down both Lance and the unsuspecting Hunk as she jumped on the two. She growled softly, nuzzling all over the boy's face and under his chin.

Lance grunted and patted the tiger before looking up at the others. "What happened?"

Allura stepped forward to answer, but was cut off by a mewl. ~Where's my hugs?~

They turned to see a sleepy kitten padding out of a cryo-pod.

"Merla," Keith sighed, walking over to scoop her up.

Blue gave Lance a lick on the cheek before coming over to sniff Merla. ~It's good to have you back.~

Allura helped Lance and Hunk to their feet and said, "We can tell you all about it while you get something to eat. Are you able to walk?"

Lance gave a smirk. "Talking? Eating? Are you asking me out on a date?"

Hunk and Allura sighed.

"Yep, he's okay," Shiro muttered.

"Yep, there he is," Pidge said.

"Classic," Keith snorted.

Merla chuckled and swatted at Blue's nose. ~You sure know how to pick them.~

Blue just shook her head.

The group helped Lance down to the dining room and Hunk fetched food for both Lance and Merla. The kitten growled at the goop, but allowed Keith to feed it to her. As the two ate, Allura, Hunk, and Pidge caught Lance up.

"Wow. Thanks, everybody. Sounds like the mice did more than you, though."

Keith blinked and looked up from Merla to see Lance staring at him. "What?"

Lance frowned and opened his mouth to repeat it, but blue growled and nosed his arm. ~Stop picking fights.~

~Lance was saying you didn't do anything to help,~ Merla _innocently_ purred.

~Merla!~

Keith frowned and glared at the Blue Paladin. "I punched Sendak!"

Lance was thrown off for a second by the about-face, but quickly recovered. "Yeah, apparently after I emerged from a coma and shot his arm off."

~Pidge was the one who cut his arm off,~ Chip pointed out.

"We had a bonding moment. I cradled you in my arms!"

~ _Try to keep it hidden, honey we can see right through ya_ ,~ Merla chirped as Lance said, "Nope. Don't remember, didn't happen."

Keith shot his kitten a look and Chip gave a purring laugh.

Lance turned to Allura and asked, "So, what happened to Sendak?"

"He's frozen in a cryo-pod. We're keeping him here in the Castle."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"He's too dangerous to be set free. Besides, we might be able to get some information about Zarkon from him."

"So, what's the plan now?"

"We have to get back to the Balmera and save Shay and her people," Hunk demanded.

"Wow!" Lance gushed. "You are really hung up on this lady."

~Yep,~ Pua agreed.

"No, it's not like that. Look, guys, when you see how Zarkon has treated these people and destroyed their home... They've been under his thumb for so long, they don't know what it is to be free. It's up to us to set this right. This is what being a Paladin of Voltron is all about. It's time to man up."

~ _Man_ up?~ Merla snorted.

Pidge frowned as Shiro called out, "Then let's get moving. Time to go defend the universe."

"Wait," the girl said and the others paused. "I have something to say first. I need to come clean. And I'm afraid this may change the way you all think about me."

Chip purred and nuzzled the girl's side supportingly as she hesitated.

"Just so there are no secrets between us anymore, I can't _man up_. I'm a girl. I-I mean, I can _man up_ because that's just a figure of speech. I don't have to actually be a man to _man up_. I just have to be tough. But what I'm saying-"

"B- W-wha-? You're a girl? How?" Lance shouted, cutting Pidge off.

"I've known for some time, but I'm glad you've shared it with everyone."

"Yeah, I figured."

"Oh, yeah, me too."

"Wait, w-we were supposed to think you were a boy?"

"Pidge, owning who you are is going to make you a better paladin."

Pidge sighed in relief. "It's good to get that off my chest. Now, let's launch this Castle-ship!

Lance watched the others run off. "Wait, what? Pidge is a girl and the castle is a ship? How long have I been out?"

Blue licked his hand comfortingly then grabbed the edge of his sleeve and tugged him along after the rest.

* * *

Once the Castle had left Arus's atmosphere, the team settled in for the trip. Lance was off to the side, still pouting. Blue was attempting to groom him while making consoling noises. Pidge was fiddling with the screens on her chair with Chip and Hunk watching over her shoulder. Pua was next to them, lying on his back and watching the stars fly by. Keith and Merla were sitting in his chair, the cheetah on his lap as he combed his fingers through her fur. Ryou had perched on Shiro's chair and was watching his paladin and the Alteans plan.

As Keith fidgeted, something occurred to him and he glanced over at the Green Paladin. "Pidge?"

The girl hummed and tilted her head towards Keith without looking away from the screens.

"What… I mean… Should we still, you know, call you Pidge?"

The Alteans, Hunk, and Lance gave him confused stares, while Shiro turned to Pidge, curious.

The girl flushed and looked up. "I- Y-yeah. I mean, it's not my real name, that's Katie, but you guys can still call me Pidge. I've kinda gotten used to it, like a nickname."

Keith nodded and focused back on fiddling with Merla's fur. Likewise, Shiro smiled and turned back to the still bemused Alteans.

"Wait, Pidge isn't your real name? Since when?" Lance shouted before glaring at the others. "Am I the least to know this too?"

"I knew her name," Shiro offered apologetically.

"Matt always talked about her," Keith agreed. "Not always in the best light."

He met Pidge's eyes and she snorted. "He told you about the crater, didn't he."

"Yup."

"Why am I trying to save him again?"

"It's not that bad. You should hear about the time Shiro ate-"

"Horse."

At Shiro's hissed word, Keith immediately blushed and said, "So did anyone else know about Pidge's name?"

Hunk held up his hand. "I didn't, but what was that about Shi-"

"Allura, Coran, what about you."

"No. I'm actually quite curious on why she would need a false name and was pretending to be a man," Allura responded.

"I'm curious as well. I'd also like to know what a horse is and why-"

"See Lance, you weren't the only one that didn't know. Moving on?"

Pidge, much like Ryou and Merla, laughed at Keith's scrambling while her own cat and Shiro watched in amusement. She took pitty on the Red Paladin - mostly because she was ninety-five percent sure Matt had already relayed the story to her though he'd never given names - and turned to Lance. "Speaking of being the last to know: when were you planning on giving Chip her armor? We could have used it in the fight against Sendak."

Lance's eyes widened, then he glared at Keith. "You told hi-her?"

Keith glared back at him, but Hunk spoke up. "Actually that was me. Pua wore his when we left to get the crystal. It looked really good by the way."

"What's this about armor?" Coran asked.

* * *

"Wow! You did all this by yourself?"

Chip, Ryou, Blue, and Pua stood towards the middle of the bridge in full armor. Chip and Ryou's were painted much like the others, though Ryou had wings painted on his back in red, blue, and silver.

"Aw! They look like mini Voltron Lions!" Allura cooed from her spot piloting the ship.

"Ryou's wings look like bird wings and Chip's missing her shield. But yeah, they look great," Pidge agreed from where she and Shiro were kneeling next to their cats. "Where'd you find the paint? And how'd you get the voltron symbols to glow like that?"

Lance smiled, off to the side with Hunk and an armful of red and white armor. "Coran told me where to find it."

"I thought he just wanted to paint his room or something," the Altean pipped in.

"And the glow was a special mixture Hunk helped me with."

"Well they look great," Shiro said. He looked up at Keith and asked, "Isn't Merla going to put on hers?"

The cheetah hissed at him.

"Maybe when we get closer to the Balmera."

She growled.

"You're going to wear it."

Shiro watched curious as Keith fell into a whispered, one sided conversation with the cat.

"I agree, it's wonderful!"

"Not as wonderful as you, Princess."

Shiro gave Lance unimpressed look. "Alright. We're done now."

* * *

 **An announcement: the next chapter of this story will be out next week as usual, but if you'd like to read it before that, it's already up on my new Pat/reon (The link is on my profile, or you can just look up** Reid Tag **). It's only one dollar to access it and a sneak peak of the following chapter so check it out if you can. On top of that, you can also find commissions, a special story just for patrons, a sneak peak at another upcoming work, and a poll about what story I should work on next alongside this one.**

 **Either way, thanks for the support!**


	13. They Lion Cheat

**Whoops! This was a little late. Sorry, RL stuff! In my defense, it's still technically Monday!**

* * *

~Keith, turn your alarm off!~ Merla yowled, nuzzling into the warm, fuzzy thing she was laying on.

~Sh, Red,~ Blue growled, his large paw coming up to flop on top of her head. ~Sleeping.~

~G'off,~ Merla growled back. She pawed at Blue's leg, but didn't have the strength to push him off.

~Go back to sleep.~

~You.~

~What are you two doing!? Get up!~

Blue groaned and opened his eyes. He was in tiger form and draped across Lance's pilot's chair with Merla laying on his stomach. Ryou was standing over them looking unimpressed.

~Didn't either of you notice the alarm?~

Blue blinked, then lifted up his head. His ears twitched as he registered the alarm buzzing through the bridge. ~An alarm? Is something wrong?~

~It's a distress beacon, but it wouldn't hurt for the two of you to show more concern.~

~Keith would tell me if I was needed,~ Merla yawned, rolling over to see their leader. Unfortunately her perch had been precarious enough that she rolled right off Blue and onto the floor.

~Serves you right,~ Ryou snorted as the cheetah moaned in pain before turning to his brother. ~And what is your excuse?~

~Lance needed three alarms to get up in the morning for school. I've learned to sleep through alarms.~

~Well, unlearn. We're setting down soon and we might be needed.~

~We're up. We're up,~ Blue huffed, swatting at his brother.

Ryou sent them both a look before returning to his paladin's side.

Blue carefully rolled over and looked down at Merla. ~You okay?~

~Fine,~ the cheetah huffed, standing up and stretching.

"Attention, damaged craft, this is Princess Allura. We are coming to assist you."

The two looked over to see everyone crowded over by Allura as she landed the castle on a moon. The two came up to their paladins as the princess turned to Coran. "Stay aboard and try to get as many of our systems clear of that Galra crystal energy as you can. We'll see who hailed us."

"Yes, Princess."

The group followed Allura into a dropship and went down to the surface. When they exited, they were met with a pair of aliens and a robot.

"You don't know how glad we are to see some friendly faces," the purple one called as they approached. "Most folks don't want to get tangled up with anyone who's on the run from the Galra."

"So, you guys are fighting the Galra?" Keith asked.

"Well, I don't think Zarkon is exactly quaking in his boots at the three of us, but we do what we can. I'm Rolo. This is Nyma," he gestured to the yellow one, "and our cyber-unit, Beezer," then the robot.

"Hi," Nyma called and Beezer beeped cheerfully.

Both Lance and Pidge went stared eyed and rushed over to Rolo's crew.

"Cool robot!" Pidge said, her and Rover circling Beezer enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, Lance took Nyma's hand with a flirty smirk. "Hi! Name's Lance."

The other's ignored the three and Shiro asked, "Was your ship damaged in a fight?"

"Yeah, we've really been through it with the Galra. Parts are hard to come by. Luckily, we were able to limp to this moon about a week ago. If you didn't pick up our distress signal, I d-"

"We're happy to help. I am Princess Allura of Altea, and from now on, you won't be alone fighting the Galra. You'll have the Paladins of Voltron by your side," Allura stepped to the side, gesturing towards Hunk, Keith, and Shiro.

Rolo looked unconvinced, moreso when he glanced back at Lance and Pidge. "Okay."

"I don't think they've heard of us," Shiro muttered.

"It _has_ been ten thousand years," Keith pointed out.

"Voltron? Five robot lions that combine into this big robot… guy?" Lance tried to explain.

"Sounds impressive. I'd love to see it. Or-or him. Them."

~Him,~ Ryou said.

"Why don't we get to work on your ship?" Hunk snapped. "I'm sure we all have places to be."

"Sure." Rolo went over to the side of his ship and used an access panel to open the engine compartment. "Pretty much our whole flaxum assembly is shot. I don't know what kind of extra parts you carry in this rig of yours. I've never seen anything quite like it."

"I'm sure we can get you back up and running," Allura said, while behind her Lance attempted to show off his muscles to Nyma. Shiro shoved his shoulder reprimandingly as the young woman laughed. "Give Hunk a list of what you need. Coran can show you where to find it."

"Okay."

"We'll go with you," Rolo offered. "Don't want you to have to carry all that yourself. Come on, guys." Rolo tried to walk towards the castle, but Hunk stopped him.

"Uh, I don't think so," Hunk said, and Pua came up behind him, looking intimidating. "You can just wait out here."

"Hunk, Yellow, don't be rude," Allura scolded.

"Yeah, mind your manners. There are ladies present." Lance shot finger guns at Nyma with a "Hey."

Shiro groaned behind him and Ryou snorted. The liger came up behind the boy and shoved him over.

"Dude!"

~Good one, Ryou!~ Merla purred.

"Oh, I'm sorry, oh, but does anyone remember the last time we let our defenses down? Someone kind of set off a bomb. Remember, Lance? You and Merla were almost killed."

"Oh, yeah."

"Hunk's right," Shiro said, coming forward. "Sorry, but we have to be cautious."

"Hey, I don't take it personal."

Beezer printed out a list of supplies and Rolo tore it off. Pidge and Rover were immediately at the robot's side. Beezer buzzed in surprise before beeping angrily at them.

"That's how it is out here. You've got to look out for your own. You're doing a good job, big man." Rolo handed the list to Hunk

"Yeah. Thanks." Hunk sent the man a look before he and Pua left back to the ship.

"So," Rolo started, turning to the group. "What are these animals you have with you?"

"They almost look like abisno," Nyma said, "but huge and multi-colored."

"They're from our own planet," Shiro said, being careful about what he said. He set his hand on his partner's head. "This is Ryou."

"This is my boy, Blue." Lance wrapped his arm around the tiger's neck before poking Merla's nose. "And this is his girlfriend or whatever."

~He's my soul-bound, idiot,~ the cheetah growled.

"Her name is Merla," Keith said, looking just as impressed by Lance's actions.

"And that's Chip," Shiro said, gesturing to the leopard that was helping Rover keep Beezer close enough for Pidge to poke and prod at it. "They're our partners."

"Well they're impressive beasts," Rolo said, kneeling in front of Blue and Merla.

When he reached a hand out towards Merla's head, Blue bared his teeth and she snapped her jaws less than an inch away from his digits.

Keith smirked as he yanked his hand back, jumping to his feet. "I wouldn't call them beasts if I were you. Merla at the very least might take your hand off for the insult."

Merla gave a low purr, her ears swiveled back and eyes constricted.

Rolo shivered and nodded.

* * *

"Hey there, Hunk, Yellow. Did you need something?" Coran asked as Hunk and Pua came in.

"Their ship's busted so we need some parts to fix it up. Allura said you'd know where they were, which would help since I have no idea what this says," Hunk held out the list.

Coran looked it over with a frown as the left the bridge. "Well, the Galran script has changed a little over the past ten millennia, but it's still legible enough. Thankfully they haven't changed their names for parts. Hm… Yes, I'll need to double check just in case, but we should have more than enough of all of these to spare a few." Coran led the way to a large storage room lined with crates. He pointed to a hovercart in the corner. "Grab that while I check the inventory. You can use it to bring the parts down."

Hunk nodded and ran over to get the cart. He pushed it around as Coran and Pua loaded it up with the parts Coran read off the list. Once they were finished, the Altean headed back up to the bridge while Hunk and Pua returned to the surface. When they reached it, Pidge, Chip, and Rover were pestering Beezer and Lance was off to the side flirting with Nyma while Rolo, Allura, and the other paladins were talking around a fire.

"Well, I hope there are some parts in here that'll fit," Hunk called as he pulled over the cart. He pulled off his helmet and looked over at the group, but no one responded. "You know, to get your ship moving?"

"Great! Thanks," Rolo answered, then the group returned to their conversation.

Pidge's laughing made it hard to hear the group though as Beezer started driving around in circles around the group, trying to unseat its passenger while Rover and Chip chased after them.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I think you guys are kind of keeping Rolo from working," Hunk said as he and Pua approached the fireside group. "It's just that we're in a hurry. A hero named Shay saved my life, and I swore I would return to do the same for her and her people. You understand."

"Sure. Sorry," Rolo said, patting Hunk on the shoulder and getting to work.

"Hunk," Shiro said softly. "We're going to get going soon, but I think Rolo might have some information that could be helpful to us."

"Not for nothing but I don't trust this guy as far as I can throw him."

~I agree with my paladin,~ Pua huffed, watching the purple alien.

"I think we ought to leave him with parts and just say, _Adiós, ami_ -"

"Hey, bud!" Rolo called, cutting Hunk off. "Sorry, but do you think you could hunt down a length of thermal pipe about yay long?"

Hunk groaned and replied, "On the way." He was pretty sure he remembered where Coran had said the thermal pipe was. As Hunk reached the dropship, he whispered, "Watch him while I'm gone."

Pua chuffed an agreement and returned to the group.

"So, are there more freedom fighters?" Ship asked. "Any kind of organized resistance to the Galra?"

There was a yowl and the group turned to see Merla scrambling to her feet, having fallen off the stacked boxes she'd been laying on behind Keith.

"You okay?" her paladin asked.

~I'm-I'm Fine,~ she hissed jumping back on top of the boxes. ~I just… Nevermind, it's not important.~

Keith frowned, but nodded.

Rolo sent the cheetah a concerned look, but once Keith relaxed he turned to Shiro to answer his question. "Only folks who haven't been colonized yet, or the lucky few, like us, who managed to escape somehow."

"Well, we're going to change all that," Keith affirmed.

"That's good to hear, but I've got to warn you, it's pretty bad out there. You don't know what you're up against."

Away from the others, Lance leaned against the crate Nyma was sitting on. "I mean, there are only five of us in the entire universe, so I guess you could say it's kind of a big deal."

"I don't understand. The lions are ships? Are they, like, flying statues that you ride on?"

Blue gave an offended growl.

"No, no, no," trying to sooth both the shocked woman and his angry tiger at the same time. "They're magic, but also super scientific and advanced. And they fly crazy fast and have all these incredible weapons. Really, the entire Castle is just insane. I wish you could see it."

"Yes, it's too bad we're not allowed inside. I would love a tour from one of the knights. But I guess the big one is in charge, huh? You have to obey his orders?"

"Who, Hunk?" Lance scoffed. "I don't have to listen to him!" Lance grabbed Nyma's arm and snuck her over to the dropship.

~This is a bad idea,~ Blue sighed, following his paladin.

Lance brought them up to the bridge.

Nyma gasped and looked around the room. "This place is incredible!"

"Yeah, I guess. You get used to it," Lance said, leaning against the doorframe once he was sure Coran wasn' around.

"But it's so gigantic. It must take you forever to get to your lion."

"Ooh, you'd be surprised."

~Lance,~ Blue growled as the two ran over to the Blue Lion's elevator.

"Coming, buddy?"

Blue stared his boy down before letting his body fade into pure quintessence. Nyma was shocked, but Lance just smiled. "Don't mind him. He does that sometimes."

Annoyance colored Blue and he sunk through the ship and into the blue engine-tower. He hated it when Lance used him as a tool for flirting. A part of him wanted to lock Lance out when the boy drove up, but he let him in. He made his annoyance clear though.

Lance flinched and mentally promised to give the Blue Lion a nice buffing in return.

"Pretty slick, right?" he asked as they slid into the cockpit.

"Unbelievable! Take me on a ride around the moon?"

Lance blushed and Blue hissed, ~Lance!~

His paladin glanced to the side at the wave of annoyance and said, "Uh, we should probably get back to the others."

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe Keith will give me a ride."

~She's playing you like a fiddle,~ Blue sighed as Lance jumped into action.

"No! Woah, woah, woah! Hold on a second! I mean what's the point of having the lion if you can't enjoy it, right? Giddy-up, buddy!"

Merla was right, his paladin was an idiot.

* * *

Merla chirped as she watched Keith watch Rolo. ~See something you like?~

Keith shot her a glare.

Suddenly Rolo slid out of the engine compartment. "I think this thing is just about ready for a test flight. Beezer, come co-pilot for me." He ran into the ship, Beezer zooming after. "Be back in a tick."

The group watched Rolo take off in confusion.

"That was weird, right?" Hunk asked.

* * *

Blue was enjoying the closest thing to a nap that he could in his robotic form when Lance's distress snapped him out of it. Suddenly he was lifted in the air. He opened up to see Lance tied to a tree with Nyma standing over him.

Anger colored him and he dropped out, collecting into his tiger form and tackling the woman.

"Get her, Blue!" Lance cheered.

Blue pinned the woman with a paw on her chest.

"Ujryz!" the woman shouted, using her legs to keep him from biting her. "Where did you come from? Rolo! I need help down here!"

 _"_ _What is it?"_ came Rolo's voice from the device on Nyma's wrist. The ship that had loaded up the Blue Lion spun about and Rolo cursed. Canons on top of the ship spun around and Blue jumped to the side as they fired.

"Watch it!" Nyma shouted as a blast nearly hit her.

 _"_ _I got him off you, didn't I?"_

Blue jumped at the woman, but she managed to grab a cord hanging from the ship and was lifted up into the air. ~Come back and fight!~ he roared.

The woman saluted him and called down, "Maybe next time, big guy."

Blue growled as she disappeared into the ship and they fled. He turned on Lance and the boy flinched. "Hey, buddy. Little help here?"

Blue huffed and curled up facing away from his paladin.

"Come on, Blue! I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you! Just unchain me and I'll-I'll… I don't know, but I promise I'll do whatever you want."

Blue snorted, but otherwise ignored the boy.

"We need to get the… you back. Cut me free."

Blue closed his eyes and focused on his bond with the others. He reached out until he felt the other's presences. ~We've got a problem.~

~What is it?~ Ryou asked.

~My paladin's an idiot.~

~And this is news?~

Chip snorted.

~Hush, Merla. What happened Blue?~

Blue peaked over his shoulder. Lance was sliding down the tree, reaching his leg out for his helmet.

~Nyma chained Lance to a tree and stole me.~

Merla's laughter rolled through the bond.

* * *

The group was sitting around the fire, waiting for Rolo to come back, when all the cats' ears jumped to attention.

"Something wrong, boy?" Shiro asked.

Merla suddenly began chirp-laughing, rolling onto her back.

"What's wrong?"

~Lance is tied to a tree!~

~Merla, this is serious.~

"What!?"

The group jumped at Keith's shout and Shiro asked, "Keith what's wrong?"

"I- Something's wrong with Lance. We need to go!" Keith grabbed his helmet and he ran towards the dropship, a still snickering Merla at his side.

"Woah, Keith," Shiro said as the others grabbed their helmets and chased after the Red Paladin. "What are you talking about?"

Keith bit his lip as the dropship's doors closed. "I-"

 _"_ _Guys? Hello? Little help?"_

"Lance?" Shiro called, putting his helmet on. "Lance! Are you alright? W-what's going on?"

 _"_ _Well, I'm kind of chained to a tree."_

Keith sent the team a look and climbed out.

 _"_ _And I think Nyma and Rolo just stole the Blue Lion."_

"I knew it!" Hunk shouted as the team split off, the paladins running to their hangers and Allura heading up to the bridge.

 _"_ _Where are they?"_

 _"_ _Uh, space?"_

 _"_ _Ugh, I never trusted those guys, right from the beginning!"_

* * *

Lance stared at Blue's back. "Look, I'm sorry, boy. I promise, I won't ever use you to hit on girls ever again."

Nothing.

"And I'll scrub your cockpit until it shines. On top of polishing the outside."

Nothing.

"And-"

 _"_ _Hey, Lance, I got your lion back."_

"Thank you, Keith. Now, can you come and unchain me? Blue's ignoring me."

 _"_ _What's that? I, uh… You're cutting out. I can't… I can't hear you."_

"Oh, come on! Not you too! I thought we bonded. Keith? Buddy? My man?" Blue chuffed and Lance shot him a glare. "Traitor."

The tiger turned to him and he froze.

When Keith and Merla reached them, Blue had a leg over the boy's chest and was grooming his hair.

"Not one word," Lance growled as Keith's mouth opened.

Keith smirked and turned away. "Well I was going to offer my help, but I guess you two are comf-"

"Don't you dare leave me here."

Keith laughed and walked over to cut the bindings with his bayard.

As soon as he was free, Lance scrambled away from Blue, who sat up looking smug and satisfied.


	14. Interlude: Mother of Cats, Part 3

"Why can't you stay?"

"Sorry, Angel, but I have to go. This is a big opportunity for me."

"I wanna go with you!"

"You're too young still."

"But-"

"Angel, stop bothering Shiro while he packs."

"Sorry, Daddy," the four-year-old said, looking up to see Akira Kogane standing in the doorway.

"It's fine, bro. I don't mind. I'm leaving soon so we don't have much time left."

"Alright, just don't dawdle. We've got to leave in an hour. You should have had this packed last week."

"I'm almost done," the fourteen-year-old huffed, turning back to his work. "And I did most of it last week, this is just the stuff I couldn't pack until now."

"Sure it is."

Angel snickered as Akira left. Shiro rolled his eyes and shoved the kid off his bed.

"Hey! Daddy, 'Ro pushed me off the bed!"

"Shiro, be nice!"

Angel stuck a tongue out at him and he returned the favor. The four-year-old giggled and ran off.

"Angel," Akira called after a while.

"Coming!"

"Slow down, squirt," Shiro laughed when Angel ran past him as he lugged his suitcase downstairs.

"No!" The child rushed down the stairs and came to a stop in the living room where Akira was talking to their neighbor, Mrs. Rana.

"Thank you for doing this."

"It's no problem at all, Akira."

"Daddy?"

The two turned to Angel and Akira said, "Angel, dear, Mrs. Rana's going to take you shopping while I take Shiro to the train station. So go put your shoes on."

"Okay, daddy."

A half hour later, Mrs. Rana was leading Angel through the mall.

"Where should we go first?" the woman hummed.

"Disney store?"

"Come now, you need actual clothes. How about in here?" the woman pulled Angel into a department store.

Angel frowned as the woman led the way over to the little girl's section and started digging through the dresses. The child watched the woman for a few moments before wondering off. Eyes widening at the sight of a Spider-Man shirt, Angel ran over and grabbed the shirt, then the Jurassic World one next to it. The four-year-old went to bring the finds to Mrs. Rana before remembering that Akira always picked out bottoms to go with shirts. So Angel headed over to the shelves and grabbed two pairs of jeans.

"Angel! There you are!"

The kid spun around and held out the finds. "Mrs. Rana, look! I found some clothes!"

The woman tutted. Taking the clothes away. "My dear, those are boy's clothes. You can't get those?"

"Why?"

"Because you're a girl. Girl's don't wear clothes like that," Mrs. Rana said as she put the shirts back.

"Why?"

"Because girls wear girl's clothes, like these." She held up the dresses she'd picked and Angel frowned.

"Daddy's never said that."

"Well, your daddy is a man so he doesn't understand what little girls like."

"I like those shirts. Dresses are stupid."

"Well, I'm sure we can find one for you in the girl's section. Maybe Moana? Or another Disney Princess?"

"I don't like princesses. I want Spider-Man! And dinosaurs!"

"Hush, now. Come on, we still need to find you a few more things."

"But-"

"Hush!"

Angel pouted as the woman shuffled back to the girl's section.

"How about this one, dear?" Mrs. Rana asked, holding up a green skirt.

"No," Angel sniffled, scrubbing at blue-violet eyes.

"Now, enough of that," the woman huffed, stuffing the skirt into the department store bag with the dresses.

"No!" Angel shouted before turning and running away.

The child ran and ran until Angel eventually found the courtyard of the mall. Tucked away in a hidden corner by a planter, the four-year-old curled up in a ball.

"Wrah-wrah-wrah."

Angel sniffed and looked up to see a slim, spotted cat perched in the planter. "What? Shoo!" The kid waved at the animal, but she just hopped down closer. "No, go away!"

The cat ducked under shoving hands. Blue-violet eyes met with half-lidded gold ones and the cat gave a purr. She stepped into Angel's lap and gave the underside of the kid's chin a lick and head bump.

The four-year-old sniffed and stroked down the cat's back. She pressed into the hand and laid down. Angel frowned and stared down at her. "I know you."

The cat purred and nosed the child's stomach.

Angel stared into the cat's eyes and felt something familiar.

"Angel? Angel?"

The cat's ears twitched, then it fled.

"Come back!" Angel shouted, jumping up and moving to follow.

"There you are!" Mrs. Rana grabbed the child, who gave a yelp before being towed away. "I have been looking everywhere for you! Your father is going to be furious when he finds out about this!"

* * *

"Angel, sweetheart, what were you thinking? You can't just run off like that. You could have been seriously hurt."

"Sorry, daddy."

"Don't do that again, you understand?"

"Yes, daddy."

"Now apologize to Mrs. Rana."

"Sorry, Mrs. Rana."

"Go to your room."

Angel nodded and climbed up the stairs. Huffing, the child flopped onto a dinosaur-sheeted bedspread.

"Wrrrrrrrr!"

Angel's head shot up at the sound and turned to see the cat from before perched precariously on the window ledge. The kid smiled and opened the window. The two were momentarily delayed by the screen until Angel managed to shove it open enough for the cat to squeeze in.

She nuzzled the child in thanks before jumping up onto the bed.

Angel glanced towards the door before following. "Okay, you can stay, but you have to be quiet so Daddy doesn't know."

* * *

~Hello, Kitten.~

"Hi there," Kitten said as Red - or Merla as her cub had started calling her - pressed up against his side. "Animals aren't allowed at school."

~They're not in charge of me.~ She nosed his cheek, trying for Kitten's attention. When the little one wouldn't turn, she followed his gaze. ~Who's that?~

"What? You asking who they are? Just some boys from my class," the six-year-old huffed. "They said I can't play tag with them because I'm a girl. But all the other girls just want to play with _dolls_. It's boring." He finally looked away, turning to Merla. "Why do I have to be a girl?"

The cat snorted and slipped into his lap.

"Thank you, that's very helpful."

Purring, Merla nosed his chest then met his eyes. ~You are whoever you feel you are.~

Kitten smiled. "You're right. Thanks."

The cat chirped and nudged his hand for pets. He laughed and scratched behind her ears.

"Why do you make more sense than those boys?"

~Because you're my cub,~ she purred.

* * *

"Sh, we're almost there."

"Did you say something, Angel?"

"I asked if we were almost there."

"Just a few more minutes. Now remember, I want you on your best behavior. This isn't like your school. You could get in a lot of trouble for messing around here, which could get Shiro in a lot of trouble."

"I know dad." Kitten rolled his eyes and peeked inside his backpack to the kitten grumpily curled up inside. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

~I should have stayed home,~ Merla whined quietly and swatted up at Kitten.

The seven-year-old bit his lip to keep from laughing and poked the kitten's side. "Baby."

~Don't talk about your mother that way!~ she huffed, clawing at the bag.

Kitten rolled his eyes.

Feeling the car slowing down, so Angel zipped up the backpack.

Akira pulled into the makeshift parking area outside the walls of the Garrison alongside the cars of the other family members coming for Family Day. As soon as they stopped, Angel carefully shouldered the bag and jumped out of the car. The kid was ecstatic to finally be old enough to visit the garrison, having been too young to go the past two years.

"Angel, wait up!" Akira called as the child ran for the gate that was letting people in.

"Woah there, son," a man said, catching Angel's arm.

"I'm sorry about this," Akira told the man as he caught up. He turned to Angel with a glare. "I told you to wait for me."

"Sorry, dad."

"Ah, it's no problem," the man said, letting the kid go. "Boys will be boys."

"I- Actually, Angel's a girl."

Angel's shoulders stiffened and Merla gently pawed her cub's back through the bag.

"Really? Well, my apologies, little miss," the man said, looking awkward as he adjusted his uniform's hat. "You two best be off now. Listen to your father now, missy. Don't want to be getting into trouble in there."

With a ducked head, Angel stomped into the line.

Merla give a low hiss. ~What happened to boys will be boys?~

"Adults are stupid," Angel muttered.

"Empty your pockets of keys, phones, or any other metal," a woman ordered as they got to the front of the line. Cell phone deposited, Angel moved towards the metal detectors before being stopped by the woman again. "Bags off too, sweetie."

Angel froze, then slowly slipped the backpack off to hand to the woman. "Be careful with it."

The woman smiled and took it before waving the child towards the metal detectors.

Once through, Angel fidgeted nervously as the woman checked the bag. Thankfully, the woman closed it after a second and handed it and the phone back with a wink. "Don't worry, I don't think I bothered your kitty too much."

Angel took it and stepped to the side to wait for Akira. The kid peaked inside the bag to see Merla laying limp inside. A second later she blinked her glassy eyes clear and looked up.

"Adults are stupid," Angel repeated with a snort.

~Agreed.~

The seven-year-old slipped the bag back on as Akira stepped up and led the way to the main building. Just as they got inside, Merla started squirming around.

"What is it?" Angel whispered, glancing towards Akira.

~I need out!~ Merla whined quietly and pawed at her cub's back again. She felt something, but she had to be sure.

Angel grabbed Akira's arm and stopped them both. "I need to go potty."

Akira nodded and pointed to the restrooms just on the side of the entrance hall. Angel paused for a second before ducking inside the ladies room. The kid checked that the room was empty before slipping in a stall and letting Merla out.

The cat immediately started nosing his pocket.

~Give me your phone!~

Confused, he pulled out the device. Merla set her paw on the screen and with a flash of red, the screen was covered in scrolling symbols. Merla was thrilled. She had felt Blue at the edge of her mind ever since she had come to this planet, but now she was actually connected to her love. Her soul-bound.

"Woah! Ok, this is weird, even for you. What are you doing?"

~Calling a friend. I can feel them nearby.~

"Where?"

~I don't know!~ Merla yowled quietly, her tail flicking back and forth. They were connected, but they couldn't actually talk, only share information just as they'd been able to before Reject had stolen her from her molten moon. ~Neither do they.~

"Can they come to us?"

~No.~

Kitten hummed. "So what are we going to do?"

~Nothing,~ Merla huffed. ~There's nothing we can do.~

"Oh." Kitten fidgeted and glanced towards the door.

Merla sighed and slumped to the floor.

"Are you okay?" Kitten asked, picking her up.

~Fine. Tired. Can't feel them anymore. No energy.~ So close! She was so close, but they were just out of reach.

"Sorry."

~Told them how I got here. They'll be able to tell the others and figure everything out. We'll just have to wait for the right time.~

"Right time?"

"You'll understand when your older."

"You know I hate it when adults say that!"

Merla just yawned and curled up. With an eyeroll, her cub smiled and gently set her back in the bag as she drifted off.

"All done?" Akira asked as Angel came out of the bathroom. With a nod, they continued on to the meeting hall.

"Akira! Angel!" Shiro called as he ran up to them. The three of them hugged then Akira sent the two kids to get a table while he got some drinks for them.

As soon as he was gone, Angel grabbed Shiro's arm.

"Hey, what's wrong, squirt?"

"Can I talk to you about something before dad comes back?"

* * *

"You know our cats are magic, right?"

"What?" Shiro asked, looking up from his summer work.

"Our cats," Angel said, gesturing out the window.

Shiro glanced outside to see the cat he been spotting all summer curled up around the cat Angel had somehow been hiding from his brother for almost three years. It was actually a funny sight since the black and silver cat was shorter than the red-brown spotted one.

"They're magic."

"Right, this again," Shiro chuckled, turning back to his work. "Weren't you the one asking me earlier if he was magic?"

"I had to check with Merla, but he is. He's Magic."

"Sure he is."

"He is! Merla knows him! She calls him Black!"

"Really? And what does he call her?"

"I don't know. I can't understand him like I can Merla."

"I see."

"I'm serious, Shiro, the cats are magic." Angel glared at him, then huffed. "Fine, don't believe me. See if I care!"

"Hey," he called out as Angel stomped out of his room.

"What!?"

"Have you talked to Akira yet?"

Angel frowned and stared down at his feet. "Not yet."

* * *

"Keith?" Shiro shouted as he threw the front door open. He jumped as a mini cheetah leaped out of the shadows and started growling at him. "Woah! Hey, Merla, it's just me!"

The cat stopped and eyed him for a second before turning and wandering back into the house.

Shiro sighed and kicked off his shoes before following her up the stairs to Keith's room. "Hey, buddy, you in there?" he asked knocking on the slightly open door as Merla slipped inside.

He heard Keith whisper something to his cat before calling out in a stuffy voice, "I'm in here."

The older boy pushed open the door to see the younger curled up on his bed. He was holding his stuffed hippo with Merla wrapped around him. Shiro came in and sat down next to them.

"What are you doing here?" the nine-year-old sniffed.

"Someone contacted garrison and they told me. I've been allowed leave to come take care of you. Get everything in order. Are you alright? Why are you here alone?"

"Mr. Hull was here. He ran to the store." Keith sniffed and buried his face in his toy. "This is my fault."

"What? Keith of course it isn't."

"I told him and now he's gone."

"Keith, this has nothing to do with that."

"Then why did he leave?"

"I…" Shiro sighed and slipped his arm around the boy, pulling him as close as he could without disrupting Merla. "I don't know, buddy."

"Then how do you know it's not my fault?"

"It's not your fault. I don't know why he left, but if it was because of that, it's not your fault. It's his. This is who you are, Keith, and if he can't accept that then it's better that he's gone."

~That's what I've been telling him,~ Merla growled. She sat up and set her chin on his shoulder, pressed against his back like a hug.

Keith sobbed and buried himself in Shiro's chest. Shiro held him close as he cried.

~How is he?~

Shiro looked up to see Ryou poking his head through Keith's window.

~Oh.~

He gave a low whine and jumped over to the bed to curl up with the three. Shiro scratched his head and Keith pulled away to hug him.

* * *

A knock sounded from his door. Another knock sounded. A third one sounded and Keith wondered when they'd take a hint.

"Keith Kogane?" a muffled voice asked and Keith sighed. Never apparently.

"Present," he said, just loud enough that it'd make it through the door.

There was silence for a moment then the door opened.

Not for the first time, Keith idly wondered why a glorified military school couldn't afford simple door locks for its dorms. He'd need to rig something up to keep out annoying interlopers.

"Keith?" asked one such individual.

"What do you want?" he growled, not looking up from his school book. He was already five chapters in and school hadn't even started, that's how boring military school ("It's not military school, Keith," Shiro sighed in his head) was. You think he'd be used to this after three years in the pre-program.

"I- Um…"

Keith looked up when nothing more was said to see a young man - early twenties, dressed in Garrison uniform - standing in the doorway staring off to Keith's right. The thirteen-year-old followed his gaze to see Merla curled up on the spare pillow that he had tossed on the desk under his window just for that purpose. _Huh, when did she get here?_ He wondered.

Merla glanced at the man, but instead of hissing like she normally did to anyone that wasn't Keith or Shiro she turned around and curled back up facing away from the door.

Keith looked back at the man and asked, "Are you just going to stand there?"

The man raised an eyebrow and turned to Keith. "You know, pets aren't allowed here."

~How dare you!~ Merla lifted her head up and bared her teeth at the man with a hiss. She then stood up and kicked the pillow off the desk before disappearing out the open window. ~Me? A pet?~

"I don't have any pets."

The man stared at him for a moment before laughing. "Alright, I'll bite. I'd keep it out of sight from everyone else though."

"Don't know what your talking about," Keith said, focusing back on his book. When the man didn't immediately leave or get on him about Merla, he added, "Did you want something or…"

"Oh, right, sorry. My name's Matthew Holt, but everyone just calls me Matt. I'm you Alumni Mentor."

"Mentor?" Keith asked, eyeing the man suspiciously. "So what, like my babysitter? No thanks."

"No, mentors are assigned to certain freshman students who show promise. I'm here to help you around the campus and-"

"Thanks, but I've been here for three years now. And I'm not a freshman either. I've been cleared for the tenth grade courses, last I checked."

"Oh, you were in the pre-program."

Keith hummed.

Matt shifted nervously before a knock came from the door. He stepped to the side so Keith could see Shiro standing in the doorway. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Keith said, holding his book in front of his face.

"You- You're Takashi Shirogane!" Matt gasped.

"Y-yes? I'm sorry, have we met?"

"No, I was two years below you in the academy. Engineering program. But everyone talks about you! You're a legend! They say you're the best pilot of our generation!"

"I, uh, um…" Keith snickered at Shiro's stumbling and blush.

"Legend? So you haven't heard that Shiro can't even go fishing without losing half the bait in the river or about the time he nearly blew up our cabin trying to light the campfire with gasoline or the time-"

"Alright, Keith, thank you."

The boy saluted him and returned to his book.

"You… know each other?" Matt asked, glancing between the two.

"He's my legal guardian or whatever," Keith explained.

"But you're only-" Matt started, only to be cut off by Shiro.

"Nine years apart. Yeah, we know."

"Everyone feels the need to point it out," Keith added.

"It's complicated," Shiro finished.

"Okay," Matt said, bemused.

"So, you know my name," Shiro started, holding his hand out to Matt.

"Oh, Matthew Holt. Matt. It's a pleasure, sir," he said, shaking Shiro's hand.

"Shiro, please. And likewise. Now, what's going on here?" Shiro sent Keith The Look. "Are you in trouble already?"

Keith stuck his tongue out at his uncle.

"No, no, I was assigned to be Keith's mentor."

"And I was just telling him I didn't need one."

"Actually, I think a mentor is exactly what you need." He patted Matt on the shoulder and chuckled, "Good luck with this one. He can be a handful."

"I hate you."

"Love you too!"

* * *

"Don't go too far," Keith told the cats as he saw them running a bit away from the shack. Ryou was attempting to catch Merla, but despite her height disadvantage of being in her kitten form, the serval easily pranced and dodged away from the Maine coon.

Of course, she then made the mistake to turn to Keith in order to hiss, ~Make me!~

Ryou used the distraction to dart in and scoop up the red cat. Keith laughed as the domestic carted over his hissing kitten by her scruff. He curled up a short ways from Keith and proceed to teasingly groom Merla.

~Help! Keith! Save your mother!~

Still chuckling, the fourteen-year-old turned back to his bike. He finished up his work and shut the engine compartment. "All done. Wanna take it out for a ride?"

~Yes! Save me!~ Merla whined and wiggled about until she finally managed to slip free. She ran past Keith and scampered up onto the bike.

~I think I'll take a nap.~ Ryou stood up and stretched before turning and heading back into the shack. ~You two have fun.~

"Guess it's just us." Keith shrugged and hopped onto the bike. "Ready?"

Merla slipped into the carrying bag he had attached for her and Ryou. Her head popped out and she purred. ~Ready!~

Keith powered up the bike and took off towards the canyons. The two spent an hour swerving through the canyons, pulling tricks, until Keith felt something stirring. Keith slowed down the bike and stopped.

~Keith?~

"Do you feel that?"

Merla tilted her head before climbing out of the bag and crawling up onto his lap. She looked around, her ears twitching.

Finally she turned to Keith. She didn't even make a sound and he knew her answer.

* * *

"Well, this seems to be the general area that the energy's coming from." Keith folded up his map and looked around.

Ryou hopped down and started looking around. Merla immediately followed and started running about at random.

Merla spotted a lizard and called out before taking chase. ~Want!~

Keith and Ryou searched the area for awhile until Merla called out again.

~Come here!~

"If it's another lizard, I don't want it," Keith called back. "Four is more than enough."

~Come here now!~ she hissed.

Keith sighed and headed in the direction she'd gone, Ryou at his heels. Keith slipped around a rock and spotted the red cat sitting in the mouth of a cave.

"Alright, that could be interesting," Keith allowed.

Merla gave a prideful purr. The three slipped into the cave and began looking around.

"Woah," Keith said as he spotted a large carving on the ceiling. "Is that… a lion?"

Merla gave a sad, wordless whine and Keith turned to her. She was a bit farther into the cave, staring at another carving, this one tinted blue.

"Friend of yours?" he asked pulling out his camera. She gave a sad chirp in response and nuzzled the carving.


	15. Purr-ince Charming to the Rescue

"You think the Balmerans will have a parade for us after we've freed everybody?" Lance said as he got the Blue Lion ready to launch.

Keith's image appeared to his right. _"_ _It's not about the glory, Lance. It's about freeing prisoners from Zarkon."_

"No, I know. I know. But still. When they-" Lance grunted as Blue suddenly shot out of the tower.

 _"_ _I think Blue might still be upset,"_ Keith chuckled.

 _"_ _This is it,"_ Shiro called out and the two snapped to attention. _"_ _Get your heads in the game. Remember, the Balmera is a living creature. Make sure you pinpoint only the Galra installations and not its surface."_

The team split apart and Pidge pulled away from the others. _"_ _Initiating cloak,"_ she called as her lion disappeared from view.

The lions started attacking the main power generator. Blue fired on the guns as Pua smashed into towers.

Shiro flew over the base, considering. "How do I take this thing down?" The console in front of him beeped as Ryou sent up a display. "What's that? Jaw blade? Okay! Let's do this!"

They shot towards the ground, a blade like the one Merla had used on Rolo's ship appearing in Ryou's mouth. The blade slashed a line through the generator, causing explosions down the side.

As the last of the BLIP sensors fell into a chasm, Pidge called out, "All sensors delivered."

Meanwhile, Keith had Merla dodging around blasts from the large cannon at the head of the generator. Annoyance flickered through them both and when Keith pushed to attack, a concentrated stream of lava shot out of Merla's mouth, burning straight through the cannon's base.

"Whoa!" Keith cheered, and he felt Merla purr in pride. "Did you guys just see that? We got fire power!"

 _"_ _Hey! I want that!"_

The cannon's base cracked and suddenly the tower was collapsing.

"Oh, no!" Keith gasped.

Hunk flew Pua underneath the tower and he caught it. _"_ _Hey, we can't let this thing hurt the Balmera."_

Inside Blue, Lance felt her nudging him and said, "I think Blue knows what to do!"

She flew forward and Blue opened her mouth, releasing a spray of freezing energy onto the tower. Ice grew up the column sealing it in place.

"Aw, snap! These rays are super cool, just like me!"

The team landed on canon, looking over their work.

"Great job, team!" Shiro praised.

A few moments passed before Keith asked, "Where are all the troops? They're not coming to the surface."

Hunk's image appeared next to him. _"_ _Yeah, I remember seeing a lot of Galra guys down in the mines."_

 _"_ _We've located a hangar full of Galra fighters just below the surface. Someone has to take those out before they can launch."_

 _"_ _They're luring us down, but we have no choice. Keith, Lance, you guys hit the hangar,"_ Shiro ordered. _"_ _Hunk, head to the prison to rescue Shay and the other Balmerans. Pidge and I will track down the Galra soldiers."_

 _"_ _Yes, sir."_

 _"_ _Ten-four."_

 _"_ _On it."_

 _"_ _Let's do this!"_

Keith and Lance pulled their lions into a chasm near the hanger then dropped down in their speeders. They followed the map Allura provided to the hanger. They jumped out of the speeders just as Merla and Blue appeared next to them wearing their armor. The four slid down to a hidden ledge overlooking the hanger.

"The entire hangar's only being guarded by a few sentries," Keith noted as he looked over the cavern. He summoned his bayard and he and Merla rushed forward. "Let's go!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Cool your jets, Keith!" Lance hissed, grabbing Keith by his collar. He yanked him back and Blue grabbed Merla by her tail. "Don't you remember that stuff about this Balmera thing being a sensitive animal?"

"Oh, right."

"Yeah, so we can't just blow things up like a psycho."

~Psycho? I'll show you psycho.~

~Please don't.~

"Oh, you got a better idea?"

"I do. We sneak into the control room to shut down the bay doors. That'll trap the ships in."

"That-" Keith paused, his eyes widening. "… actually is a better idea."

Lance smirked and the group drifted down onto a catwalk. They quietly slipped across and climbed above the control room. Keith summoned his bayard again and judged the location of the guard.

"No, no. It's over here," Lance whispered.

"I know what I'm doing." Keith sunk his sword into the floor and cut a circle. He gestured Lance forward and the Blue Paladin jumped on it, sending him down into the control room and crushing the sentinel.

"Keep an eye out for those guards," he called as Keith and the cats dropped in. "I'll see if I can find a way to shut the hangar doors."

Merla took the corner to Lance's right while Keith took the left and Blue took the door.

Lance grumbled to himself as he looked over the controls. He tapped at random buttons before finally groaning. "I don't know what I'm doing here. It's all Galra gibberish."

"Let me see."

Merla's tail ficked and she turned to see Keith looking at the panel. He set his hand on a section and it flashed red. A siren went off as the hanger doors slid closed.

"Whoa! How'd you do that?"

~Merla?~

"I… just put my hand on the handprint."

Merla glanced at Blue, then away.

 _"_ _Paladins, are you there? The Galra troops are moving down the tunnels. It looks like they're going down toward the center."_

 _"_ _They must be headed to the core of the Balmera. That's where they're holding Shay."_

 _"_ _They're drawing us into an ambush, but we don't have a choice if we want to save Shay. We have to follow. Lance, Keith, get to the core. I think we're going to need everyone together to get through this firefight."_

"Copy that. We're on our way," Lance called and the two stood. Keith cut through the panel with his bayard and they all ran out, Lance shooting the door access as they left.

~Merla,~ Blue hissed.

The cheetah's ears twitched inside her helmet. She ducked her head and they both fell back.

~Merla, Pua told us about the doors here. They-~

~I know,~ Merla said.

~Then how would he be able to close the doors?~

~Because he is.~

~How?~

Merla met the tiger's eyes. ~He is.~

Blue froze then stumbled to catch up. ~What? How? He doesn't look-~

Merla shook her head. ~Not right now.~

Blue glanced at Keith. ~Does he know?~

~No.~

~Do any of the others know?~

~No.~

Blue's tail twitched as she watched the boys. ~The one who brought you to Earth, was she-~

~Yes.~

~Was he with her when she came?~

~No.~

Blue nodded.

 _"_ _Hey, team, be careful. The Balmera is very unstable,"_ Pidge called through the comms.

Lance and Keith ran around a corner, to find a squad of sentinels. They ducked down as they fired on them. Blue and Merla stayed around the corner and watched Lance.

"Their shooting is destroying the Balmera. We gotta do something," Keith called as the Balmera moaned.

Lance grunted as a blast hit the wall near him. "Well, we can't shoot back. It'll just make it worse." He glanced towards the sentinels, his eyes trailing up and around until he turned to Keith. He hummed. He pointed at Keith, then up, towards the sentinels, himself, his eyes, then towards the sentinels again.

He watched Keith with an annoyed expression, then jumped out into the hall. He got the sentinels' attention, then ducked behind his shield. The cats peaked around the corner to see Keith had disappeared.

A few moments later, the boy jumped down from the rafters and took down the sentinels.

Lance smiled and flashed him a thumbs up.

~How adorable.~

~Not now, love.~

They continued down the tunnel until they reached the core. They had just stepped inside, when the door slammed shut behind them.

"Not an ambush. More like a trap," Hunk said.

"Whatever it is, keep your guard up," Keith called back, raising his sword. Merla fell to his side and the two looked around the cavern for enemies.

Shay stepped forward and said, "The Galra, they gained knowledge that you would return to the Balmera."

"How?" Pidge asked.

"I know not. But they set this trap just for you. I was the bait."

"Who could have possibly known that we were heading here to save Shay?" Shiro questioned.

"Rolo!" Hunk growled. "Those liars must have told Zarkon."

Shiro glanced towards the doors. "We have to figure out how to get out of here."

"Wait! We have a giant Castle-ship hovering in the sky. Allura, can you please come get us?" Lance pleaded.

"How do you expect her to do that, genius?" Keith snorted.

"I don't know, maybe they got teleporters or something."

~Beam us up!~ Chip, Pua, and Blue cheered.

~What?~ Ryou asked.

 _"_ _We're quite occupied at the moment,"_ Allura grunted. _"_ _We're completely surrounded by Galra ships and we're taking heavy fire!"_ There was a pause then, _"_ _Paladins, you need to get out of there as soon as you can!"_

"This is it! We're going to die in here. I can say bye-bye to that parade," Lance bawled.

"Get it together, guys," Shiro said. "Allura, we'll get there as soon as we can."

"Perhaps my people can help us get out." Shay placed her hand on the center column. "This is how we communicate. The Balmera senses our vibrations and sends a message to those in the tunnels."

"Are you sure someone will be able to hear your… hand from all the way down here?" Keith asked incredulously.

"The Balmera will deliver the message." The area around her hand glowed and the balmera groaned around them.

 _"_ _Paladins, the lions are in danger! You must get back to them immediately!"_ A pause. _"_ _Paladins, do you copy? There's a battle cruiser locked onto us. If it fires with its ion cannon, I don't know if we can survive."_

"We're trying, Allura. Shay's pressing her hand against a wall, which apparently sends vibrations to the other rock people, who vibrate back or something? Hand talking? I guess the answer to your question is, Yes, we copy."

~Smooth Lance,~ Blue sighed.

~Should we head back or wait with them?~ Chip asked Ryou.

~Stay. We won't be able to do much to ships on our own. We're stronger together.~

"Shay, are you sure the Balmera is sending your message?"

Shay ducked her head and a second later Shiro's question was answered. The wall around one of the doors constricted and the door buckled in.

"Rax!" Shay exclaimed.

"We must make haste. We know a shortcut through the tunnels," her brother said.

"Allura, stand by. We're on our way up," Shiro called into the comms as they took off.

* * *

~Pain. Annoyance. Losing. Take it down. Can't. What is it? Frustration. Zarkon. Dark magic! Witch! Losing. New plan? Pain.~

 _"_ _We can't hold out!"_

 _"_ _Chip's weakening! If the shield sustains structural damage, we're done for!"_

 _"_ _Pidge is right!"_

 _"_ _Oh, Pidge is right. I'm the one that said, We can't hold out!"_

 _"_ _Lance, watch your footing!"_

{Voltron Shield unexpectedly disengaged. Recalling wings… Recall failed. Retrying…}

 _"_ _Okay, Team Voltron, disband!"_

{Recall successful. Disengaging Voltron Interlock. Voltron Interlock disengaged.}

* * *

 _"_ _Guys, this isn't working. We'll never take this beast down in our lions,"_ Keith shouted.

 _"_ _Well, forming Voltron didn't work, either,"_ Pidge called back.

 _"_ _Not without some way to shoot all those laser eyes at once,"_ Lance said.

Pua jolted with an idea and an access port opened up to Hunk's right.

"That's weird. What are you trying to tell me?" Hunk summoned his bayard and checked it against the port. "Guys! Guys, something's happening here! I-I think there's a way to take down all those laser eyes at once."

 _"_ _Well, what is it?"_ Pidge barked.

"Do you remember how Voltron formed that sword with Keith's bayard? I think Pua's telling me I can do the same thing with my bayard."

 _"_ _Are you sure?"_ Keith asked.

"Let's find out. Form thingy!" Hunk slammed his bayard into the port and twisted it.

{Yellow Bayard inserted. Action not compatible.}

~Oh Hunk,~ Pua sighed.

~Did he just…~ Merla snickered.

"It didn't work!"

 _"_ _Because we didn't form Voltron yet,"_ Shiro pointed out.

"Oh, right. Yeah, I know."

"Guys, whatever we're planning, let's hurry up and do it," Pidge called out as the monster spotted the castle.

It growled and started towards it so Shiro ordered, "We've got to defend the Castle! Everyone, follow me. Form Voltron!"

{Engaging Voltron Interlock. Red and Green Lions connected. Blue and Yellow Lions connected. Black Lion Faceplate released. Voltron Interlock engaged. Scanning. Yellow Paladin Hunk Bayard operation accepted. Processing Yellow Paladin Hunk Bayard primary form. Yellow Paladin Hunk Bayard primary form: Energy Cannon. Yellow Paladin Hunk Voltron Bayard weapon translating. Yellow Paladin Hunk Voltron Bayard weapon translation: Shoulder-mounted Energy Cannon. Weapon formed.}

~Pua! Nice! Pleasure! Fire!~

 _"_ _It's not enough!"_

 _"_ _We'll have to try something else!"_

{Weapon deconstructed. Yellow Paladin Hunk Voltron Bayard weapon translation filed.}

~Ugh! Dodge! Useless! Wait! Here! Hunk! Everyone!~

{Enemy identified. Multishot targets locked.}

 _"_ _Are you guys seeing this?"_

 _"_ _Roger that."_

 _"_ _Let's see what this thing can do. Engage!"_

{Yellow Paladin Hunk Bayard operation accepted. Weapon formed.}

~Fire! Hahaha! Calm. Never!~

{Weapon deconstructed.}

~Victory?~

 _"_ _Guys, look!"_

~Pretty! Eh. Sh! You. Look. Careful! There he goes. Victory!~

{Yellow Bayard ejected. Disengaging Voltron Interlock. Voltron Interlock disengaged.}

Merla laughed as the lions flew to the castle. ~Pua, your paladins always have crazy weapons.~

~Is that a compliment?~

~Considering how crazy Merla is? Yes, Pua, I believe it is.~

~Kiss a kwaila, Chip!~

Once their paladins had left the lions, the cats followed them.

~Love you too.~

Merla jumped at her sister and the two wrestled across the ground.

~Mer-~ Ryou started, but the ground started to shake beneath them. The sisters pulled apart and turned to see the monster standing up.

~Oh come on!~ Blue roared.

~Just die already!~ Merla hissed.

"No," Allura gasped.

The monster prepared to fire, only for its feet to sink into the ground. To the amazement of all, crystals grew up and inside the monster until it was entirely encased.

"No way," Hunk muttered.

"The Balmera just saved us," Coran said, turning to Allura.

She turned away and her eyes widened as she saw the crystals starting to grow across the Balmera's surface. "Look at the crystals!"

~Shiny,~ Merla purred. ~I want one.~

~No, Merla,~ Ryou growled.

~A little one.~

~No.~

"Oh, who's a good Balmera? You are. Who ate the big monster? You did. Yes, you did. Yes, you did."

The group turned to see Hunk kneeling on the ground, scratching the surface like the belly of a dog.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Keith asked.

"What? It's alive, and it wuvs my scwatches," Hunk cooed.

~I think Pua's been replaced,~ Chip joked.

Pua snorted. ~I've shared Hunk with two Labs. I'm not the jealous type, unlike _some_ people.~

Blue looked at Merla, who looked at Chip, who looked at Blue. They quickly noticed the others' looks.

~You got something to say, love?~

~Both of you are green-eyed monsters.~

~Like you're one to talk, _Green_.~

~All three of you get jealous,~ Ryou chuffed. ~Now stop fighting.~

Merla glared at her sister and love before walking away to nudge at Keith. ~I want a crystal.~

"Yeah, no."

Shiro looked up at the boy's words. "What's that?"

"Nothing."

Shiro watched him for a moment before turning to Shay's family.

* * *

The three youngest paladins were curled up with their cats in the common area when Shiro and Ryou entered.

"Hey Shiro! Where's the others?" Keith greeted.

"Is Hunk still with his _girlfriend_?" Pidge teased.

Shiro's lips twitched into a smile and said, "Coran's helping Allura to bed. She's still exhausted from the ceremony. And Hunk's saying goodbye to Shay."

Pidge whistled and Lance groaned. "Lucky," he muttered.

Shiro rolled his eyes and set his hand on Keith's shoulder. "Can we talk?"

"About?"

"Merla."

The serval kitten lifted her head up from where she was draped over Keith's shoulders, blinking sleepily. ~What?~

"What about her?"

Shiro tilted his head to the door and they left.

"Okay," Keith said as they headed towards the rooms. "So what's up?"

"How did you know Nyma tied up Lance?"

Keith ducked his head. "Rolo was gone too long. Hunk knew something was wrong too."

"Yeah, but Hunk wasn't jumping to his feet and running for the castle."

Keith shrugged. "Allura said the Red Paladin was more instinctual and we both know how I get."

Shiro crossed his arms. "There's more to it then that."

Keith just shrugged again.

Shiro bumped into his nephew. "Keith, you used to tell me Merla talked to you."

Keith blushed. "I haven't said that since I was nine! I was just making up things like kids always do."

"You told me she called Ryou Black."

Keith flinched. "What are you getting at?"

"Keith."

"Shiro."

"Well?"

~It's okay,~ Ryou growled softly, nosing the boy's arm.

~Relax,~ Merla purred, nuzzling his neck.

Keith bit his lip and scratched her head. "It only works with Merla."

"So you really can talk to her?"

"I know it sounds crazy."

Shiro snorted. "I spent the last year in an intergalactic gladiatorial arena. We're currently on an ancient spaceship and fighting a war against an empire that's conquered most the universe. My housecat turned into a liger and is basically the brain for a giant lion warship. We've flown straight past crazy."

Keith snorted and Shiro wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

"Merla's your lion. You're supposed to have a bond with her."

"Allura and Coran never said anything about something like this, though. And none of you guys can hear them, can you?"

"No, at least I don't, but then you and Merla have always been closer than me and Ryou. For good reason, considering she's been with you since you were little. Before you were even born, if my suspicions are right. When did it start? You started talking about it when you were seven, I think."

"Um, actually I'd say… six?"

~Yeah, around then.~

"What's it like?"

"It's… not like she's speaking telepathically, but more like I hear her purrs and growls and my brain translates it to something I can understand."

"Hm…"

Keith stopped and Shiro turned to him.

"What's up?"

"Can we not tell the others?"

"Keith, the others won't care."

"Shiro, please."

"Alright, buddy. If that's what you want."

"Thanks."

* * *

 **End Part 3**


	16. Interlude: Cats and Cakes

**Short Break: Happy B-day Lance!**

 **This takes place sometime into the future of the series from where we left off, but I'm not telling just how far.**

* * *

~Lance?~

The Blue Paladin blinked and turned to see a tiger standing behind him. "Oh, hey there, beautiful. Where've you been?"

~Merla.~

"Great, my lion's getting more action than I am," Lance huffed, turning back around to stare out at the stars through the bridge's windows.

There was a soft padding sound then a fluffy cheek nuzzled up against his own. ~What's wrong?~

"I just tol-"

~Try again.~

Lance sighed and buried his face in Blue's neck fur. "I just… I miss Earth, you know."

She ducked her head. ~Yeah, I do… I'm sorry.~

"Not your fault," Lance said, shrugging.

~Isn't it?~

"What? No!"

~I stole you - all of you - from Earth, from your home. I dragged you into this war.~

"Hey, woah now. No, that's not- Blue, don't think like that! You didn't drag us anywhere! We were the ones who climbed in. I piloted us off Earth. We _all_ agreed to go into the wormhole. Maybe we wouldn't have gotten off Earth without you, but you certainly didn't steal us! And Zarkon was the one to force us into the war. He did it when he captured Pidge's family and Shiro. When he tried to attack Earth. When he started this war in the first place! You didn't do anything except give us the means to fight back."

~But you want to go back.~

"I… I do. I think we all do, kinda, but even if I could go back, I wouldn't. I'm needed here. We all are. Earth won't be safe until it's all over and I can't - won't - go back until I know my family and everyone else is safe. No matter how much I miss them."

She pulled away enough that they could look each other in the eye and gave a growl that sounded like a hum. ~My paladin!~

Lance froze. "Blue wa-"

She pounced. She wrapped her limbs around his slender form and began grooming his hair.

"Come on! No!"

~What did I do to get a paladin as wonderful as you?~

"Not the hair, please!"

~I love you!~

Lance sighed and went limp. "Love you too."

They stayed like that until Blue felt her paladin's hair had been fully groomed. She set her head atop his and tugged him closer. ~I miss my own homeworld too, sometimes.~

Lance tilted his head up slightly, but could only see the underside of her chin. "You mean Altea?"

Blue snorted.~You all still have so much to learn. No, Altea is not my homeworld. In fact, I am much older than Altean civilization. Eons older, actually.~

"Really?"

~Probably. Your means of telling time gets so confusing in the long run.~

"Okay that's… I don't know. So what is your homeworld like?

~Was. The energy planetoids my people resided on, the Worlds, died long ago.~

"Oh. Sorry."

~Don't be. You were not the one to destroy them, nor were you the one who failed to save them.~

"Blue?"

~My homeworld was Mia, the crown light of the Leano Empire. It was the throne of a the large, bountiful alliance and it looked the part. Grand and opulent is how I'd describe it. Chip and Merla would probably call it gaudy, but then they grew up on a smaller, nearby world. We didn't have oceans or weather, but we had gardens and parks. Some fake, meant to imitate organic life. Others real, carefully cultivated both for their wild beauty and their educational uses. There was one near the… near my home that had an enclosure with creatures that looked similar to a cross between a parrot and a rabbit, but the size of butterflies. I used to go there all the time if I was feeling upset. It was where Merla and I became each other's soul-bound.~

"Sounds awesome."

~Merla hated it.~

"Of course she did," Lance chuckled. He could just imagine the cheetah all grumpy while little winged rabbits hopped all over her.

~Yeah. She would have much preferred pairing up right in the middle of a battle to the ceremony Ryou forced us to go through. You should have seen the smirk she gave him when one of the creatures tore a giant hole in the stuffy ceremonial drapings she'd been forced into with its talons. He's still convinced she did it on purpose to get out of wearing them. Not that I blame him. I would have thought the same if I hadn't seen it attack her myself. I think it was the color. The drapings were the same color as its favorite prey animal.~

Lance raised an eyebrow. "Talons and prey? What kind of bunny-parrot are we talking about?"

An image passed through his mind. The creature looked like a rainbow-colored eagle with four wings. Each wing had a nasty looking hooked claw at the top and its four feet each had six huge talons. It's head was, admittedly, vaguely rabbit shaped, with its little snout and the long ears. However, its ears were nearly lost in the feathered crest and the cuteness of its snout was thrown off by the shark teeth poking out of its mouth.

"That is not a bunny-parrot."

~Never said they were cute.~

"Nightmare fuel, Blue."

~They did hunt in swarms.~

"I love you, Blue, but you chose to get married surrounded by a swarm of _those_?"

~ _I_ chose to have the ceremony on a frozen beach on an organic moon where the glowing bacteria made the ice look like it was filled with shooting stars.~

"That sounds amazing!"

~Thank you! But Ryou said it wasn't a _proper_ place for the ceremony. So I chose the garden. Ryou was terrified of the creatures.~

"Hm, okay, having it there out of spite makes much more sense. Merla just went along with it?"

~Merla went along with anything that ticked off Ryou back then.~

"Fair enough. Any other nightmare fuel you want to let me in on?"

~Well…~

* * *

Hunk hummed as he wandered down the hall towards the bridge with Pua at his hip. He hoped Lance liked his latest attempt at chocolate cake. He still didn't think the taste was quite right, but it was still good. But was it good enough to pull Lance out of the funk Hunk had noticed him in earlier?

"You think this will cheer him up?"

Pua chuffed and nuzzled his arm.

"You sure?"

The lion gave a soft growl.

"Yeah, you're right! Something sweet is exactly what the doctor ordered!"

He walked into the bridge and smiled when he spotted Lance curled up with Blue.

"Hunk!" the Blue Paladin shouted, sitting up.

Hunk had to fight down his laughter when he spotted how Lance's hair was sitting up in that way it only did once Blue's tongue had had its way with it.

"Man, you would not believe the things Blue has been telling me about. You know that deep sea fish from Finding Nemo?"

"You mean the anglerfish?" Hunk asked, his smile falling away.

"Yeah, that! Well apparently there's a space one that can ju-"

"I brought cake!"

"Hunk, you're the best!" Lance cheered, not even caring about being interrupted.

Blue whined.

"Aw, Blue, you're still my baby girl. But cake! Hunk's cake!"

Blue huffed and stood up, walking to the other side of the room.

"Come on, beautiful! You know I still love you!"

Hunk rolled his eyes at the drama king and queen. He sat down next to Lance and Pua stretched out behind them so they could lean against him. The cake was handed over and Lance immediately dug in.

"Forget an angel. You are a god, Hunk!"

Hunk watched his best friend eat for a few moments before asking, "How're you doing?"

Lance gave him a big smile. "I'm…" He trailed off, his eyes darting to Blue, who was growling. He ducked his head and shrugged. "I'm better. Talking with Blue helped. She's missing home too. Her home, I mean."

Pua gave a small whine and Hunk knew he shared the sentiment.

"Well, you know I'm here to talk too, if you want."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks Hunk. For the cake, too."

"Anytime. For the cake too."

Their snickers cut off as Blue suddenly flopped over both their laps.

"Blue!" Lance groaned.

The tiger gave an almost purr-like rumble and snuggled into them.

"Yeah, yeah, love you too. A warning next time would be nice though," he sighed with faux-annoyance. He then leaned back against Hunk. "I guess it's a cuddle party."

Hunk smiled and wrapped his arms around his skinny friend.

Unfortunately he'd forgotten about the plate in Lance's hands and the cake was soon flying through the air.

"¡No, mi tarta!" Lance cried dramatically as the cake splattered on the ground.

"There, there," Hunk sighed as the Blue Paladin buried his face into Blue's fur. He rolled his eyes as loud, over dramatic sobs filled the air.

Blue lifted up her head and growled.

"It was Hunk's cake! Hunk's chocolate cake! I am not overreacting!"

At least he was feeling better if he was being this crazy. Although, that was a perfectly good piece of cake… Eh, Hunk can make some more later. Maybe this time he'll be able to get the balance just right to make it really taste like chocolate.

"There, there, buddy."


	17. Fur Real

**Cat of a Different Color**

 **Part 4:** **Scales and Arpeggios**

While Allura's resting from the Balmeran ceremony, the paladins go on a training mission. Meanwhile, the cats run into an old friend and see an enemy.

* * *

 **Spoiler warning for the V:LD Vol. 1 comics. Like massive. As in, there is a spoiler in this chapter for the ending of issue 5. So if you haven't read the comics yet and still plan to, you might want to do that first before moving on with this story. On the other hand, I'm 95 percent sure reading the comics is not necessary for understanding the story. So if you don't care about spoilers, carry on!**

 **Side note: Sorry this took so long. It was a mix of IRL issues and waiting on season 3 to come out before finalizing certain things for season 2. On the bright side, certain things are going to happen during the "Crystal Venom" chapter that I hadn't planned on bringing up so soon originally but season three's finale really hit the nail on the head.**

* * *

"Careful Merla," Keith called as the cheetah dodged around their opponent's blade. He ran forward and locked blades with the robot. Using the distraction, Merla jumped onto its back, holding on with her dewclaws as she tripped it up with her hind legs. As soon as it hit the ground, she darted away and Keith made the final blow.

Merla panted as the Gladiator deconstructed. ~Again?~

Keith nodded and called out, "Start trai-"

"End training sequence." The two turned to see Shiro standing in the doorway, Ryou peeking over his shoulder. "We're getting ready to leave for Coran's training. Get cleaned up and meet us at Allura's room."

"Right."

Once Keith was showered and both armored up, they met the others by Allura's door. The princess was still laid up after the ceremony at the Balmera so she was staying at the castle while they were gone. Coran was already with her when they came inside.

"Hey gorg-" Lance began before Shiro shoved his shoulder.

"Morning, Princess. We all came to say goodbye before we leave."

Pua gently stepped onto the bed to nuzzle Allura's cheek and she chuckled. "I'll miss you too, Yellow."

"Is there anything we can get for you before we leave, Princess?" Coran asked.

The princess sat up slowly. "Coran, I am _fine_. I needn't be doted upon like a-" She cut off with a gasp and fell back onto her pillows. "All right, perhaps I am a _bit_ off-color."

"Returning life to an entire Balmera is nothing to sneeze at," Coran said, pulling her blankets back up.

"Take your time and rest up," Shiro said, stepping forward. "We'll only be gone for a day or so."

"And where are you going again?"

"Coran says he's going to take us to some kind of training grounds," Hunk explained.

"Should be real exciting," Keith said, less than enthusiastic.

Merla couldn't help but agree. Between Allura's weapon test, Coran's blind flight, and the invisible maze, the Alteans didn't exactly have the best track record when it came to training humans.

"Yeah, relax princess," Lance said, leaning over her. "You won't be missing anything. Except me." He winked and did a finger gun.

Blue huffed and grabbed his paladin's arm, dragging him out of the room as Allura groaned, "Now I _am_ ill."

The rest of the paladins said their goodbyes as Lance shouted at Blue from the hallway.

* * *

"The Fripping Bulgogian!"

Coran led the paladins and three of the cats into the tavern, or nunvillary as Coran called it, but Blue stopped Merla from following. ~We'll stay out here and keep watch,~ he called to Ryou.

The liger nodded and disappeared inside.

Blue turned to Merla, who looked away from her love. ~You've been avoiding me,~ he said.

~No I haven't. We sat together just this morning during breakfast.~

~With Keith and Lance sitting nearby. You've been avoiding being alone with me.~

Merla ducked her head.

~We need to talk about this at some point, love.~

~Do we really though?~

~Merla.~

~There's nothing to talk about.~

~You're paladin is Galra.~

~Half.~

~That's something to talk about.~

Merla growled and jumped up to lay on her metallic form's paw. Blue followed and curled up around her.

~You said he doesn't know?~

~ _Liva_ left just after he was born and his so-called father and Shiro never knew,~ she said. ~He has a Galra dagger, but he doesn't know what it means. As far as he's concerned, the Galra symbol on it is just fancy decoration.~

~Could Shiro know? If he's seen the dagger…~

~I doubt it. Akira gave the blade to Keith when he was little, inside a box with a few of Liva's things, but Keith only started carrying the blade around after Shiro disappeared. As far as I know, Shiro never messed with the box out of respect and Keith keeps it wrapped up to protect the design so Shiro probably hasn't seen it.~

Blue chuffed and nosed Merla's snout. ~He looks pretty human for a hybrid.~

~Liva!~ Merla spat and her armored claws scratched against their perch. ~She gave him something - dark magic - that changed his appearance. He didn't look this human when he was born.~

~She used _dark magic_ on him! No wonder you hate her so much,~ he growled, his own claws flexing out and in. If anyone ever tried to use dark magic on Lance… ~Are you ever going to tell him?~

Merla pressed into her love. ~I… I don't know. With everything going on… The paladins can't have secrets. Once Keith knows, the others won't be far behind. I don't know how the others will react and I just can't risk that. Everyone will have to know eventually - especially considering… I just don't think any of them are ready, not right now.~

~I understand,~ Blue growled softly.

As they sat in comfortable silence and began to relax, they suddenly realized the slight distress coming from their paladins. They both looked up at the tavern.

~What do you think is happening in there?~ Merla purred.

~Don't know. Should we go in?~

They watched the entrance for a few moments.

~Naw, they don't seem scared enough to be in danger. Keith probably just picked a fight,~ Merla said, tucking her head over Blue's. ~As much as I love a good bar brawl, I'd rather stay like this.~

He chuffed and laid down, curling closer to her.

* * *

~Well this is…~ Pua's nose scrunched up. ~No, I'm sorry. This place is a pigsty.~

~Is Pidge even old enough to be in here?~ Chip asked, baring her teeth at a group of wolf-like aliens that were staring at her paladin.

~Are _any_ of our paladins old enough to be in here, aside from Shiro?~ Pua added, nervously looking at a pair of bartenders sending the cats considering looks.

~I'm not even sure Chip's old enough to be in here-~

~Hey!~

~- so just stick close to your paladins,~ Ryou said, snapping at a muscular blue alien that tried to touch Chip while she was distracted.

~Uh, guys.~

The two turned at Pua's call to see Coran picking a fight with a trio of aliens, Shiro and Keith looking ready to back him up.

"… Names in red, green, blue, yellow, and black. Five assigned seats, and none of them is for you," Coran snapped, leaning into the face of the largest of the three, as the cats came to their paladins' sides.

"Yeah?" the brute growled, standing up. Shiro and Ryou both stepped forward, though they went ignored. "Who's they for?"

"The Paladins of Voltron!"

The aliens jumped at the new voice and fled, the large one calling out, "Wuh-oh. Time to cheese it, fellas!"

~Chickens,~ Chip called.

"Well I'll be a wabble's plonk! Kythylian Mu!" Coran greeted the large, armadillo-like, blue alien that came up to the Altean.

"Coran, Coran the Gamblin' Man." The alien pulled Coran into a hug.

~Do you smell that?~ Pua whispered to Chip.

The leopard sniffed the air and gave a soft growl. ~Anodites! It smells like salmon and shrimp!~

~We shouldn't.~

The two shared a look then slowly slipped away from the group, following their noses. They tracked the scent to a pair of Nyx snacking on what appeared to be a roasted turkey with four-wings and eight-legs.

~That looks delicious.~

~I want one.~

~We don't have money.~

~Quiznak! How mad do you think Ryou would be if we just-~

~I'm going to just stop you there, Chip.~

~You're no fun… Merla would help me.~

~You both are terrible.~

~And you and your brothers are boring.~

~Is that so?~

The two spun around to find their leader standing over them.

~Oh, uh, hey, Ryou. You need something?~ Chip asked, her tail twitching rapidly.

He glared down at the two. ~What are you doing?~

~Contemplating the pros and cons of stealing food.~

~Pua!~

~What? You want to lie to him?~

Chip glared at the lion, then ducked her head. ~Fair.~

~No stealing, especially not food,~ Ryou huffed and shoved the two. ~Now come on. If you two hadn't been messing around you'd know we have a mission.~

~Seriously? I thought we were supposed to be training. What happened?~

Ryou sighed and turned to lead the two back to where the paladins were heading towards the exit. ~Apparently Coran left some debts unpaid before falling asleep for ten thousand years so we need to go get a Yalexian Pearl to pay off his debts.~

~Ugh! That again!~ Pua whined.

~Oh man! Does this mean we get to go back to see Zylin?~ Chip chirped.

~Maybe.~

"Aw, look at them!"

The three looked over to see the paladins staring at Merla and Blue, who were curled up together asleep atop the Red Lion's paw.

Growling, Ryou stomped over to the two. ~Can any of my pride-mates be professional?~

"What are you up to, Ryou?" Shiro called.

~WAKE UP!~ the liger roared from outside the particle barrier.

The tiger and cheetah scrambled to their feet.

~You two were supposed to be guarding the lions.~

~We were! We were just… astral projecting! Right, love?~

~What in the Anodites is astral projecting?~

~Merla!~

* * *

~This is ridiculous!~

~Be quiet.~

~She kind of has a point. Why can't we just rescue Coran from this Mu guy?~

~Neither you nor Merla have room to complain. You both are going to be in big trouble once this is all over.~

~What are you going to do, ground us?~

~Don't push me, Merla.~

~Anyways,~ Chip cut in, trying not to laugh for fear of Ryou's wrath. ~Should we give our humans a hand?~

~Yeah, I could just tell-~

~No,~ Ryou cut off Merla. ~Coran made a point to make it seem like this is something that hasn't been done before. Poorly, but still.~

~Seriously? Why?~

~No idea, but for now we'll just go with it. Coran's not an idiot.~

~Not completely anyways,~ Chip muttered.

~Come on, he can be forgetful sometimes, but he is pretty smart,~ Pua said. ~You guys shouldn't be s- OH QUIZNAK!~

~Pua!~

 _"It's got me!"_

 _"Fire!"_

~Careful! Don't hit Pua!~

 _"It's outer shell is too strong for the lasers!"_

~I don't care if you hit me - I can take it - just get this thing off my leg!~

 _"I think it's gonna tear my leg off!"_

~Keep calm, Pua.~

 _"I'm coming!"_

~Thanks Ryou.~

 _"This thing's armor is too strong for our weapons!"_

 _"Our armor isn't too strong for it! Another second and I would have been a leg without a leg!"_

~Tell me about it.~

 _"If it can chop through Hunk's armor, the rest of us are cooked."_

 _"I think we know what we need to do."_

 _"FORM VOLTRON!"_

{Engaging Voltron Interlock. Red and Green Lions connected. Blue and Yellow Lions connected. Black Lion Faceplate released. Voltron Interlock engaged. Engaging Voltron Shield. Voltron Shield engaged.}

 _"Split it open, Keith!"_

{Red Bayard inserted. Scanning. Red Paladin Keith Bayard operation accepted. Weapon formed.}

~Take this you- Language! Eat Dwylip! Focus!~

 _"So maybe we should just leave?"_

~Tactical retreat?~

 _"We can't. We're the only thing standing between that monster and those houses."_

~Point. Bad point. Merla! Live near beast. Probably prepared. Love's right.~

 _"We don't have any weapons strong enough to hurt it."_

~Better point. Hush!~

 _"We need some of those shoulder blades it used on Hunk."_

~I studied the bla- NOT NOW CHIP!~

 _"That's it! I know how to beat it. Put the shield away. We'll have to do this just with the sword."_

~What thinking? Epicness!~

 _"I hope you know what you're doing!"_

{Disengaging Voltron Shield. Voltron Shield disengaged.}

 _"Get ready!"_

~Hahahahahahaha! Merla…~

 _"On my mark, push down and in with everything we've got. Ready? PUSH!"_

~Victory!~

 _"Nice work, Keith!"_

 _"That's the way to use your opponent's strength against him."_

 _"Sharp work, samurai."_

~Aw! How cu- Don't.~

 _"Do you think that was the yalex?"_

~Nope.~

 _"I don't see any pearls."_

~Oh look. Tiny bugs. Giant bugs. Big as human children. Sweet.~

 _"Looks like the welcome wagon is here."_

"What happened? Oh no! The Guardian has been slain!"

 _"Guardian?"_

~Oh no.~

{Red Bayard ejected. Weapon deconstructed.}

 _"Did that guy just say Guardian?"_

{Disengaging Voltron Interlock. Voltron Interlock disengaged.}

 _"We'd better land and find out what he means. But good job working together on that monster that attacked us."_

 _"Maybe you should be saying, 'Great job, Lance.'"_

~Excuse me?~

"What are you talking about? I'm the one that formed sword."

~My sword!~ Merla hissed, phasing out of her metallic body to prowl next to her paladin.

"Oh, plugging in a bayard, real hard!" Lance scoffed. "I coordinated a complex pivoting movement with a mechanical, leg-shaped lion!"

~All things considered, I'm pretty sure that means we did all the heavy-lifting,~ Pua pointed out, nudging his sister.

"How hard can that be? Hunk flies a leg."

"Hey!

~Excuse me!~

~Love, mind your cub!~

"Sorry. But you always say you're the worst pilot."

"Oh, totally."

~Merla, Blue, stay with the lions.~

~But-~

~And stay awake this time.~

Merla glared at the liger as he, Chip, Pua, and the paladins continued forwards to meet the bug-like aliens.

~This is unfair.~

~We did fall asleep on guard duty.~

~Please. Guard duty was just an excuse and you know it. Our shields will keep anyone out. I mean, we left the lions alone right in the middle of a Galra occupied Balmera.~

Blue hummed and came up behind the huffy cheetah and started grooming her. ~Of course, love.~

~I hate you.~

~Uh huh, sure. Love you too.~

Up ahead, the group was watching the alien in the fancy clothes yell at them.

"… protected us from the most _terrifying_ beast in the galaxy, _Abomination_!"

"Wait, another monster? No, no, no, not again," Hunk groaned. "We just got out of a fight! We're looking for the Yalexian Pearl."

~Are we going to have to kill this Abomination too? Will we get yelled at then as well?~ Chip questioned.

"You killed our guardian for the Yalexian Pearl? What kind of monsters are you?"

~We're not monsters. We're friends,~ Pua growled softly. He tried to approach the aliens, then jumped back when one tried to hit him with their stick.

"Back monster!"

~Stay back. Let the paladins handle this,~ Ryou ordered, shuffling back behind the humans and the other two cats followed.

"We're not monsters. We're paladins. Those lions you see there transform into Voltron, Defender of the Universe," Shiro tried to explain reassuringly.

"Never heard of it."

~Why is it that Reject's the only one who knows who we are anymore?~ Chip growled, clawing at the ground.

"It has been ten thousand years," Lance sighed.

"I am Shiro. This is Lance, Hunk, Pidge, Keith, Ryou, Chip, and Pua. We're the good guys," Shiro tried again.

"I am Elderbug Blate, the town's leader. I'm in charge of keeping everyone safe from squashing - something you just made much more difficult."

~Well, excuse us for not wanting to be killed by a giant bug,~ Chip growled.

"Can you please tell us where the pearl is? Our friend's life is at stake," Pidge pleaded, leaning down.

"I'm not telling you anything, and I'm the only one here that knows where it is," Elderbug Blate scoffed.

"What if we defeat your monster, this Abomination?" Keith offered.

"How can we possibly trust you? You've doomed us all!"

~That's good. I didn't much feel like helping you lot anyways,~ Chip snorted. ~Ungrateful little bugs.~

~Chip,~ Ryou growled.

"What's that smell?" Hunk asked and his lion scented the air.

~Ooh! That smells amazing!~ Pua chuffed and he and his paladin slipped away from the others.

"We know you're scared, but we will protect you."

"Why should we trust you and your robot felines? Maybe we should be seeking revenge…"

"Great job, Keith. You destroyed their Guardian!"

" _Me?_ That was _your_ fault!"

~Oh, so now he gives him credit,~ Chip snorted.

~Which one?~ Ryou asked.

~Both of them. Maybe Merla's onto something.~

"HOLY CROW! LOOK AT ALL THIS FOOD!"

Around the bend, Hunk and his lion were salivating over a literal hill of food.

"After the Guardian ate the bowl of food, He would only eat a few of our people," an alien next to Hunk was explaining as the boy tossed in a few herbs.

"Yeah, if you add a little of this, and some of that… Wait, did you say 'Ate a few of our people!?' What kind of guardian _eats villagers!?_ "

"Well after we made the feast, He would come and eat our food…" the alien said, trailing off as she ate some of Hunk's improved on food. "And a few villagers… But He _always_ kept Abomination away. We would eat whatever was left in celebration of another year protected. But our Guardian probably wouldn't have eaten any villagers if He had a meal as delicious as this one!"

~She's got a point,~ Pua growled softly, lapping up some of the mix. ~This is the best stuff I've had since we left Earth!~

"What is the meaning of this? You destroy our Guardian _and_ desecrate our sacred meal!?"

Pua immediately scrambled away from the food. ~I wasn't doing anything!~

Ryou sighed as Chip laughed.

"It's delicious! Everyone must try it!" the food alien cheered at the same time that Hunk said, "I didn't know it was _sacred_. It just tasted like it could use a little more seasoning-"

" _Enough!_ You've ruined too much," Elderbug Blate shouted. "I'd rather this village be smushed by Abomination than deal with one more insult from the likes of you! It's time we stomped you out!"

The food alien rolled her eyes and jumped down to hold out her plate to the elderbug. "Just _try it_ , dad. I know you'll like it!"

The elderbug scowled, but scooped a little bit of the food into his mouth. His eyes widened and he yelled to the heavens, "This is _incredible!_ "

Immediately all the other villagers started scooping up some of the food to try for themselves, letting out sounds of enjoyment as they did so.

"Perhaps we misjudged you. Maybe after you defend us from Abomination, _I will_ tell you where the pearl is," Elderbug Blate announced.

Boom.

~Woohoo! My paladin just saved the day!~ Pua cheered slinking back over to the food.

Boom!

~Great job,~ Ryou chuffed, noising the boy's side.

 **Boom!**

"Let us commence the feast and celebration. To our paladins!"

"Great! Let's eat! I'm-"

 **BOOM!**

"- starving…" Hunk trailed off and turned to see the cause of the loud stomping coming towards them. "What's that noise?" A giant shadow cloaked the village. "Aww man!"

A giant beast stood a few miles away, gazing down at the village hungrily.


	18. Someone's in the Kitten With Hunk

With four legs, a mane of tentacles, six eyes, and a pair of curling horns, Abomination stood as tall as Voltron at the shoulders. It's mouth gaped open, glowing red slightly. The ground began to shake slightly as it grew closer.

The locals screamed and fled.

"It's still pretty far away," Hunk pointed out nervously. "Maybe there's time for, like… a little food?"

Shiro grabbed him and began to tow him back to the lions. "Let's go!"

Pua grabbed one more mouthful before rushing after the others.

"I'm on it!"

"No, _I'm_ on it!"

Merla and Blue had already slipped back into their metallic forms by the time the others reached them and the other cats quickly followed. The paladins ran into their lions and they took to the air.

"Okay, guys. It's time to _form Voltron!_ "

 _"_ _YEAH!"_

Hunk sighed as the bond that was Voltron settled within him. A swirl of dry, crisp, salty, sweet, spicy, sour, savory, bitter, and fresh, all coming together to make a delicious feast that left Hunk feeling full.

Metaphorically at least. He was still hungry!

~Protect village.~

 _"_ _It's trying to get to the town!"_

They charged Abomination and slammed into it's side.

 _"_ _Lance, watch your foot!"_

 _"_ You _watch your mouth! I know what I'm doing!"_

~Pain! Sorry!~

They groaned as Abomination yanked their feet out from under them.

 _"_ _Good job, Lance!"_

 _"_ _That one's on Hunk."_

~Don't blame… All together.~

"Sorry, was still thinking about food. I'm too hungry to fight!" Hunk apologized as they stood up.

~One to talk, Ryou.~

 _"_ _Actually, fasting promotes many positive health benefits. Your body is modulating hormones to enhance your senses, thus making you a better hunter."_

"So my body is making me even more aware of how hungry I am? Great," Hunk grumbled as they punched Abomination.

 _"_ _Keith, I think it's time we form sword!"_

A wave of savory-sour passed and the sword formed. They quickly used it and cut abomination straight in half.

~Gross.~

 _"_ _Great job, Keith!"_

"What's it doing?" Hunk asked and they watched in horror as the beast knitted itself back together.

~Hate regenerators!~

 _"_ _I don't know, but it doesn't look good!"_

 _"_ _I_ knew _Keith couldn't do it!"_

 _"_ _Hunk, we're going to need your blaster!"_

The savory-sour was replaced with by dryness and something else Hunk couldn't decipher as the sword was replaced by his shoulder cannon.

They fired at the beast, but once more it healed itself without leaving a scratch.

"Nothing we throw at Abomination is working. We're not going to save Coran, Zarkon's gonna defeat the entire universe, and I won't get to eat more of that delicious food down there!" Hunk whined as the dry-unfamiliar taste faded alongside the canon.

~Calm, Hunk.~

 _"_ _Why don't I just use my bayard upgrade? It's probably_ way better _than Keith's, anyway."_

A short burst of spicy came and went.

Abomination rammed into them and knocked them to the side.

~Ow!~

 _"_ Great job, _Lance."_

 _"_ _You must not be ready to unlock that upgrade."_

They flew over and grabbed hold of it's tentacles like reigns.

"Abomination must like that smell as much as _I_ do! Wait a minute… Smell… Guys! The food!"

~No, no! Listen!~

 _"_ Enough _with the food already, Hunk!"_

"Not for me! I think this guy is hungry. I think he's after the village's food! I have an idea-"

They screamed as the abomination threw them of of it.

~Pain!~

 _"_ _The village! We're getting dragged!"_

~Get stable!~

 _"_ _I got you buddy!"_

 _"_ _Great job, Lance! This time I actually mean it."_

"I have an idea! It might sound crazy, but I think we can distract this guy by cooking it a meal!"

~Sh! … Just listen!~

 _"_ _Are you sure?"_

 _"_ _I'm with Lance. I don't know if I buy that."_

"I think that monster is trying to get to the food in the town. Trust me. I'm a slave to my stomach sometimes too."

 _"_ _Sometimes?"_

" _Anyway,_ I say we make this guy a meal he can't refuse!"

~One to talk. Picky.~

 _"_ _How do you know, Hunk?"_

"Honestly, it's just a gut feeling."

 _"_ _All right, I trust you. How do we do this?"_

"We're going to have to disband Voltron…"

Hunk swallowed unconsciously as the bond faded away, leaving him feeling hollow.

"Shiro, you're going to have to distract it."

Shiro grunted an acknowledgment as the Black Lion shot off, jumping onto it's back and blasting it as he got entangled in its tentacles.

"Pidge, we're gonna need some of those shrubs for the stew. But only ones with the orange-ish leaves."

 _"_ _Right,"_ she called, flying off towards the woods.

"Lance, we're gonna need some water for the stew. And Keith, someone's gotta heat that stew up."

The two darted off together towards the nearby lake and Lance had Blue cut off a section to create a small pond that Keith immediately started heating up with Merla's flamethrower.

 _"_ _What are_ you _going to do?"_ Lance asked, finishing up the pond.

"Cook."

Hunk and Pua dove down to where the Guardian's corpse lay and scooped it up. "Hope that's as delicious as it looks!"

~You think that looks delicious? Hunk, we've been in space for far too long. I'm grossed out having it in my mouth and I can't even taste anything in this form!~

They rejoined Pidge and Keith as Lance left to give Shiro backup.

"Keith! You're overcooking it! Less direct heat!" Hunk shouted.

~Nag nag nag,~ Merla huffed as Keith shifted her flames.

~Where's the lamb sauce!?~ Chip shrieked, tossing in more shrubs.

~You both are hilarious,~ Pua sighed, dropping the Guardian into the mix. ~Ryou's right, you two can't take anything serious.~

~Never!~ the sisters chirped.

~None of you can,~ Ryou muttered as Shiro narrowly had him dodging what would have been the fifth hit in a row. ~How much longer?~

~Almost there!~ Hunk had Pua clawing threw the stew, breaking up the shrubs and stirring the makeshift pot. ~Got it!~

The three flew up while Ryou and Blue were directed back from the beast.

"Come on…" Hunk said as the smell reached Abomination. "I know you want it…" The beast started to turn away and he shouted, "No! Come on. This is delicious!"

Abomination shuffled around and followed the scent to to the pond.

"That's right!" Hunk cheered and the lions rose up and out of the way so it wouldn't think they were trying to steal the food from it.

The beast prowled up to the pond. It sniffed the stew before licking the top. It gave an odd, purr-gurgle before sticking its snout into the food and sucking it up.

~It eats like a dog… Can we keep it?~

 _"_ _Oh my…"_

~Merla, it's six times your size. Your metallic size!~

 _"_ _What's up, Keith?"_

~So what, Pua? Look at it! It's adorable and vicious!~

 _"_ _Nothing. It's… nothing."_

~Would it even fit in the castle?~ Chip hummed. ~Maybe-~

~No, both of you.~

~Come on, look at it! I'm going to name him-~

Hunk frowned as he noticed Keith's comms cut out.

~Do not tell your mother what to do, young man! If I want to adopt it I will.~

~Merla, enough.~

"Hey, Keith, you okay."

~Boo!~

There was a moments pause then Keithreconnected. _"_ _Yeah, everything's fine."_

He shrugged then looked down to see that Abomination had eaten almost all of the stew. It stepped away from the food and yawned. It licked it's snout and laid down before drifting off with another purr-gurgle.

 _"_ _Yeah!"_ the team cheered.

"Thanks for trusting me, Shiro," Hunk said as the group turned to head back to the village.

 _"_ _That's what a leader does. He believes in his team and gives them the power to succeed."_

~That's so cheesy.~

 _"_ _Besides, I'm_ never _betting against your gut."_

~And then he ruined it.~

~Leave my paladin alone, Chip, unless you want to join Merla and Blue in trouble?~

~Quiznak, I thought you forgot about that.~

The locals crowded around as they landed, cheering and praising them. Four of the paladins were herded off to the side as Hunk rejoined the aliens by the food. He helped them prepare the rest of the hill while he explained to Elderbug Blate how he'd made the stew for Abomination. Once the food was ready, it was separated into multiple smaller mounds across the village. The locals circled around them and started in.

The paladins and cats settled in at one mound along with the elderbug and his daughter.

Merla purred as one of the aliens set a bowl in front of her. ~I could get used to this.~

~Finally,~ Pua chuffed before digging in.

"Thank you for saving us. With the new cooking system you created, we will be able to feed Abomination easily and he should leave our village alone," Elderbug Blate announced.

"Our tradition had lasted _so long_ that no one realized it was the _cause_ of our suffering," his daughter said.

"Now about that Yalexian Pearl."

The elderbug turned to Pidge with a frown. "Oh, yes. I _may_ have overstated my knowledge on the subject. I don't know where the pear is per se."

~Of course he doesn't,~ Merla growled as the others all deflated.

"But I _do know_ who does know where it is: Princess Malocoti. But she's been captured and is being held captive. You'd have to rescue her to find out where the pearl is."

Lance suddenly jumped to his feet. "Saving a princess, eh? This sounds like a job for Lance!"

Merla snorted.

~Lance, dear, I love you, but please sit down and eat,~ Blue sighed.

Lance frowned and blinked, cocking his head to the side.

"Lance, just sit down and eat. It doesn't look like we'll be done soon and we don't know when we'll have a chance to stop and eat again," Shiro said, not noticing Lance's bemusement.

Lance nodded and dropped down, a bit out of it still.

"So where exactly is this princess of yours?" Pidge asked.

"Oh, she's not _our_ princess. She's the Princess of the _Grand Wrenovy_. They look more like your species in form," the elderbug explained. "Their kingdom is across the lake and past the mountains. They say, though, that she's being held in a tower in the mountains."

"Being held by who?" Hunk said.

"No one knows. A monster of some sort."

"That's comforting," Keith noted.

"Is there any other information you can give us?" Shiro smiled at the alien that came up to take his empty plate before turning back to the elderbug.

"Hmmm. Nope."

~That's even more comforting,~ Merla hissed, nosing her bowl toward the food pile. One of the locals quickly stepped forward to fill her bowl. ~Wonderful service though.~

Keith rolled his eyes.

"Alright then, let's get finished up and move out," Shiro said, standing up. He patted Hunk's shoulder as he passed. "Great job, again."

Hunk smiled and Pua nudged him in between mouthfuls.

* * *

Allura glared up at the ceiling of her room. The recreational readings tablet Coran had left her sat at the end of her bed. The fictions just couldn't keep her interest. They never could. She preferred to be doing things, not reading about other people doing them. She considered calling up the paladins, but she didn't want to risk interrupting their training during an important point.

 **Friend-mind-sister?**

Allura turned to see Chuchule standing on her pillow next to her. "Oh, hello."

 **You bad feel?**

"I'm just bored. I hate being bedstruck."

 **Bored. Need fun. Know fun! Get fun!**

She took off. Allura sighed and closed her eyes, counting away the ticks until her bedroom door opened. She looked over to see that Chuchule had returned and was pushing a hover chair into the room with the help of the other mice.

 **We bring fun. Fun for Friend-mind-mother!** Chulatt called as they pushed the chair up to the bed. They climbed up onto the chair and patted the seat. **Come fun now!**

Allura smiled and slowly shifted herself from the bed and into the chair. Chulatt hopped down and the mice pushed the chair through the door. They started running down the hall and the chair quickly picked up speed. They hopped up onto chair's arm and the flew down the hallways, spinning occasionally after hitting the walls. When they started to slow, the mice hopped down to give it another push.

They continued this cycle until a particularly powerful hit sent them careening into the bridge in a cyclone. Allura giggled as they slowly spun to a stop. Platt gave a small squeak and fell off the chair while Chulatt grabbed hold of Allura's hair to stay upright. Chuchule and Plachu had apparently been lost sometime earlier.

 _"_ _Allura?"_

The princess froze then quickly spun around to see the paladins smiling at her from their separate video feeds.

 **More?** Chulatt chittered drunkenly dropping into Allura's lap.

 _"_ _Princess, are you okay?"_ Shiro asked.

"I'm fine," she said glancing down.

 _"_ _Yeah, you are,"_ Lance called, but she barely noticed because she caught sight of her reflection on the wall and realized her hair was in disarray after all the playi- after the mice's entertainment.

She smoothed her hair out as she said, "I'm just a bit winded. How is your training going?"

 _"_ _There's been a bit of a setback,"_ Shiro sighed. _"_ _An alien named Kythylian Mu is holding Coran hostage because of some old gambling debts from ten thousand years ago and the only way he'll let him go is if we bring him a Yalexian Pearl so we've been trying to track it down. We've gotten information that a Princess… Uh-"_

 _"_ _Manicotti?"_ Hunk offered.

 _"_ _Macaroni?"_ Pidge added with a chuckle.

 _"_ _Malocoti,"_ Keith said.

 _"_ _Yes, thank you, Keith. Princess Malocoti knows where the pearl is so we're off to rescue her from some monster that kidnapped her."_

 _Well, surprisingly it seems like everything's going according to Coran's plan,_ Allura thought as she put on a worried look. "That's it! I'm coming to help!"

 _"_ _Don't sweat it, Allura. I already saved one beautiful alien princess. Doing it again shouldn't be a problem,"_ Lance said with a wink.

 _What does sweating have to do with anything? Wait…_ "What!? You!? Saved me!? When I get to that planet, you are going to have to rescue my foot from-" she cut off in a coughing fit.

 _"_ _Princess, you should be resting. You just saved a whole planet on the Balmera. Let us handle this,"_ Shiro said, worriedly.

"I'm fine. I can-"

 _"_ _Hush now, little lady. You just go back to bed and dream about my return."_

 _I'm going to kill him._ "If I could reach through this screen and grab you by the _yulschtrix_ -"

 _"_ _I know."_

 _"_ _Lance! Would you just zip it?"_ Keith growled.

Lance winked at the screen.

 _"_ _We should probably go before Allura actually goes_ The Ring _on Lance,"_ Pidge joked.

Hunk shivered and nodded.

 _"_ _Don't worry, princess. We'll save Coran and be back home soon,"_ Shiro reassured.

Allura sighed and nodded. "Just be careful."

 _"_ _For you, anything."_

 _"_ _Goodbye, princess,"_ Shiro groaned.

 _"_ _Bye Allura!"_

 _"_ _Goodbye!"_

 _"_ _Bye."_

 _"_ _Until we meet again my-"_

Allura chuckled as she cut Lance off. "Well, it's good to know everything's working out on that end." She turned to where the mice were waiting with a smile. "What should we do now?"


	19. Feline a Bit Blue

_A monstrous dragon straight out of a fairytale rises up with a roar._ _A fair princess with long black hair, blue violet eyes, and a flowing red dress clings to him as he raises his bayard to vanquish the beast._

 _Don't you think you've eaten enough?_

 _He strikes a victorious pose as the monster collapses. The princess moves in for a kiss._

 _"Oh Lance!"_

"Lance?"

 _He's daydreaming about glory and love._

 _"Don't worry, I've got you princess."_

"Lance!"

Lance blinked. "Sorry, what?"

Shiro gives him a confused look and pointed towards the lions… who were already fused with the cats? When'd that happen?

"Are you joining us? To find the princess?"

"Oh, yeah, of course! Just zoned out a little there."

 _Be nice._

"Can we get going?"

Lance shot Keith a glare as they started towards the lions.

"You think we should contact Princess Allura and tell her what happened to Coran?" Pidge asked.

"Yeah, we might be a little late getting back," Keith agreed and Shiro nodded.

"I hate to worry her, but I guess you're right."

 _Do you think she knows what's going on?_

They all climbed into the lions and called the castle. After a moment, the call connected and Allura appeared.

For some reason she was in a chair in the bridge, facing away from them and slightly ruffled.

 _"Allura?"_ Shiro asked. _"Princess, are you okay?"_

 _"I'm fine."_

"Yeah, you are," Lance called.

 _Oh leave him alone, he's got a crush!_

She must have noticed her hair as she quickly moved to fix it. _"I'm just a bit winded. How is your training going?"_

Lance tuned out Shiro's explanation.

He shifted his helmet so he could rub at his forehead, trying to get rid of the odd feeling that had settled over him partway through the celebration feast.

 _"Manicotti?"_ Hunk said and Lance refocused.

 _Mackerel?_

 _"Macaroni?"_

 _You have to admit, it is a bit funny._

 _"Malocoti,"_ Keith said, ruining whatever joke Pidge and Hunk had going on, of course. By accident, judging by the look on his face, but still, leave it to Keith.

 _"Yes, thank you, Keith. Princess Malocoti knows where the pearl is so we're off to rescue her from some monster that kidnapped her."_

 _"That's it! I'm coming to help!"_

"Don't sweat it, Allura. I already saved one beautiful alien princess. Doing it again shouldn't be a problem," Lance reassured the princess. He winked and gave her a winning grin.

 _"What!? You!? Saved me!?"_ she shouted. Despite this, Keith's facepalm, and Pidge's gagging, she was clearly blushing. _"When I get to that planet, you are going to have to rescue my foot from-"_ A cough cut her off.

 _"Princess, you should be resting. You just saved a whole planet on the Balmera. Let us handle this,"_ Shiro said, worriedly.

 _"I'm fine. I can-"_

"Hush now, little lady. You just go back to bed and dream about my return."

 _"If I could reach through this screen and grab you by the yulschtrix-"_

"I know."

 _I won't let her. Honestly, you guys are too hard on him._

 _"Lance! Would you just zip it?"_ Keith growled.

Lance winked at him. Honestly, jealously just didn't suit his fellow paladin.

 _Sh! If they do, they have to figure it out on their own!_

 _"We should probably go before Allura actually goes_ The Ring _on Lance."_

Lance frowned at Pidge's comment. _Rude!_

 _"Don't worry, princess. We'll save Coran and be back home soon."_

 _"Just be careful."_

"For you, anything."

 _"Goodbye, princess."_

 _"Bye Allura!"_

 _"Goodbye!"_

 _"Bye."_

"Until we meet again my-" Lance's screen cut out. "Huh, I think something's wrong with the connection, guys."

 _"Something's wrong with your connection."_

"Funny Pidge."

 _It was not._

Lance groaned and rubbed his head. He hoped this fuzzy feeling wouldn't last.

* * *

It lasted.

Lance pinched the bridge of his nose with a huff.

 _Do you think that's the tower?_

 _"What's wrong with Lance?"_ Pidge asked.

"My head all feels all weird."

 _"You mean weirder than usual?"_

"Haha, very funny."

 _"You alright?"_ Shiro asked.

"Yeah. I think so. It's just fuzzy."

 _"You can nap once we get Coran back,"_ Keith said as they pulled up near a tower to see a humanoid woman in a gown and crown waving at them. _"That must be Princess Malocoti."_

 _"They said she was being held captive. But by what?"_

The woman darted inside as a beast rose up around the tower.

 _What do you know, it was a dragon. Lance was right._

 _"By that!"_

 _"Everyone! Form Voltron!"_

Lance shivered with excitement as the rush that is Voltron rang through his ears. He heard waves lapping, a fire crackling, thunder booming, rocks falling, a motor revving, leaves crunching, electronics buzzing, the wind blowing, and a soft whistling. The sounds echoing around and inside him, leaving him feeling energized.

They came together to stand opposite the alien dragon. Before they could do anything, though, it's tail swung around, knocking them off their feet.

 _"Hunk! We need your shoulder cannon!"_

 _"You got it."_

The rocks and motor grew louder as the canon formed.

 _"FIRE!"_

Their legs stabilized them as the canon fired, meeting the dragon's fire halfway.

 _"This thing can match our firepower. We need to try something else. Form sword!"_

Acknowledgement flickered through them with a thundercrack. The rocks and motor quieted again and the thunder and fire grew, all in time with the deconstructing canon and forming sword.

They slashed and thrusted at the dragon, but the serpentine beast kept dodging out of the way.

 _"It's too quick, we can't touch it!"_

 _Going as fast as can._

 _"But it's going to touch us!"_

 _"Shields up!"_

 _"I'm on it!"_

They float back to prepare for an attack, but the dragon only roars at them.

 _"Why isn't it attacking us? It's like it's just yelling at us."_

Lance's eyes widened as he stared at the beast, a memory of Allura coming to mind. "Wait a second, I recognize this yelling. This dragon isn't guarding the princess, the dragon _is_ the princess! Put away the sword! She won't hurt us!"

They recalled the sword, then relaxed.

The dragon followed.

 _Don't give enough credit… Why so mean?_

 _"If that's the Princess, then who's in the tower?"_

The dragon peered around them, then growled and pointed over their shoulder.

They turned to see the woman in the tower summing a ball of red magic.

 _"I'm guessing she's not a friendly innkeeper!"_

She launched the ball at their chest and pain swarmed their bodies and connection.

 _Pain!_

 _"She's tearing us apart!"_

 _"I can't take much more!"_

 _"Everyone back into lions!"_

The sounds died as they split up.

Lance piloted Blue around to Shiro's side. "I say we take that witch down!"

 _"Let her have it!"_

All five lions shot towards the tower and the woman just barely managed to jump down before the top exploded. She reached up and blasted the Red Lion.

 _"The blast knocked out all my controls! We're going down!"_

 _Merla!_

The witch attacked again. First Hunk fell, then Shiro. Lance managed to deflect a blast aimed at Blue using her ice breath. "Looks like it's just you and me, Pidge… Pidge?"

 _Where'd you go Chip?_

"PIDGE?"

 _Where'd she go?_ Lance shouted in his head as he swerved around the witch's blasts with a scream.

 _A little help before we get_ blasted out of the sky!? _… You can tell me to wait when you're the one-_

Suddenly the blasts stopped and Lance looked down to see the witch was squirming on the ground.

"What was that?"

 _Finally!_

"Get off!" the woman shouted.

The air over her crackled as the Green Lion appeared from thin air.

Lance paused, then smiled. "Nice going, Pidge! I see you got the signals I sent about you using Chip's cloaking while I distracted her!"

 _Oh Lance._

 _"You mean the_ screaming? _Yeah, I picked up on that."_

Lance landed next to Pidge and exited his lion as Keith, Hunk, and Shiro walked up with their cats in their arms. Blue slipped out and over to Keith's side to sniff at Merla.

 _Love?_

The serval gave a sad mewl and licked Blue's snout.

"How are they?" Pidge asked, stepping out of her lion.

"Exhausted and pained, but they'll be okay," Keith said.

Lance took Ryou from Shiro and the Black Paladin walked over to the witch. He grabbed a pair of cuffs from his side pockets and a few sparks flickered across her fingers. "Keep away from me, star filth!"

Shiro snapped the cuffs around the her wrists and the sparks dissipated.

The dragon roared and the five spun around to see her shrinking down until she took the form of the same type of alien as the witch. She fell forward and Blue darted in to catch her.

"Poor gal," Lance said. "You seem like you're really _dragon_."

 _By the anodites!_

"Come on…"

"Aw, man."

"Wow."

"Lance, please."

 _No, Pua, it wasn't._

Lance ignored the complaints and smiled at the princess as Blue helped her up.

Princess Malocoti gave a shaky breath, staring at her feet. "I want to thank you all for saving me. While under the sorceress' spell, I could not attack her, but obviously I could not tell anyone who I really was." She smiled and grabbed Lance's hand. "But somehow, even though I was just an enraged, screaming monster, you could see who I really was, deep down inside."

Lance tried to look as cool as possible while still bearing a large, grumpy cat in his arms. "This isn't the first time an enraged princess has screamed at me," he chuckled nonchalantly.

"And it won't be the last," Keith sighed with a smile.

"I know you've been through a lot, Princess, but I'm afraid we need your help," Shiro said, stepping forward.

"Anything. I owe you my life."

"We're looking for the Yalexian Pearl," Keith explained.

"No! That is a suicide mission!"

"If we don't get it, our friend will die," Hunk pleaded.

"To find the Yalexian Pearl, you will need to depend on the _bravest_ and most _clever_ of you all…"

 _Hunk's too cautious, Keith too oblivious, so Lance, Pidge, or Shiro?_

 _Honestly, the princess is so flattering._

 _Yes he is, love._

"You, Pidge," the Princess said, turning to the girl.

"Me?"

"Pidge!?"

"Well…"

"It was you who used your invisibility to sneak up on the sorceress while using Lance's panicking and screaming as a distraction."

"I was _not_ panicking!"

"Reaching the yalex means passing the brain-sucking mushrooms, defeating the ghostly chess master, and answering the riddle of the sphinx."

"Answering a riddle, huh?"

Lance frowned as the Princess draped herself over Pidge.

 _How did she end up being the knight in shining armor?_

Blue growled softly and nuzzled his side.

 _Don't mind her. You're still my Prince Charming. You're the only one that realized the dragon was the princess, after all!_

Lance gave her a strained smile and bumped her with his hip. "You're my favorite Princess."

Blue chuffed and licked his face.

"Blue!"

 _I better be! You're head feeling bad again?_

Shiro glanced over at his shout and frowned at the strained look on his face. "You okay?"

"My head's starting to feel all fuzzy again."

"Naptime?" Pidge teased.

"I don't know. It's not tired fuzzy, just… crowded."

"How can something empty feel crowded, right Keith?" Pidge continued, nudging the youngest male paladin.

Lance glared at him, expecting an agreement, only to be met with silence. He just stared at Lance. "What?" the Blue Paladin growled.

"Keith?" Pidge asked, nudging him again.

He snapped out of it and looked down at her. "What?"

"Are _you_ okay?"

"Fine. Just… thinking."

Shiro sent both boys a worried look before turning to the princess. "Do you have a means of getting home or can we give you a ride?"

"I would be honored to be taken back to my kingdom in your creatures. It would suit your needs as well. I can better direct you to the Great Universal Shinx's ziggurat from there."

"Alright," Shiro said before turning to Ryou. "How're you feeling?"

He yawned and squirmed out of Lance's arms. He shook out his fur before turning to the others.

Pua stretched with a purr, then nosed under Hunk's chin. Hunk smiled and set down the cat.

The paladins turned to Merla, who huffed and nuzzled into Keith's arms. Keith rolled his eyes and set her down, despite her complaining.

"She's fine."

Merla hissed at him and came over to curl up against Blue.

 _You poor thing._

"Alright then. Let's get going. Princess, would you like to come with-"

"Pidge? Of course! I'd love too!" the princess said, wrapping her arm around the girl's.

"Okay," Shiro chuckled. "What should we do about the sorceress?"

She frowned and turned to the witch. "She should be brought back to my kingdom to stand trial for her crimes."

Shiro nodded. "I'll bring her in the Black Lion then. Hunk give me a hand getting her secured?"

"Yeah."

"Great. The rest of you, back to the lions."

"Right."

Lance scratched Blue's head as they headed back towards the Blue Lion.

A hand grabbed his arm.

Lance turned, then frowned. "What do you want?"

Keith glanced down at Merla, who purred and nipped his arm.

"Well?"

"I… Can you… hear Blue?"

Lance raised an eyebrow. "Of course I can hear Blue. I'm not deaf."

"No, I mean- Ugh, forget it."

Lance watched the Red Paladin stomp away, confused. "What's up with him?" He turned to Blue, only to find him staring up at him. "What?"

Blue stared into his eyes for a short time before giving a soft growl.

 _Can you hear me?_

"Lance!"

"Huh?" he looked up to see Hunk waving as he headed away towards the Yellow Lion.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Lance shook himself before turning back to Blue. "C'mon boy, let's get going."

Blue whined and disappeared.

 _I guess not._

* * *

"The ziggurat is here, at the very center of the Great Southern Sands. That's where you'll find the Sphinx."

"Thank you, princess."

"Of course," she said, before turning to Pidge. "Please be careful! And if you survive, feel free to visit!"

"That's- Oh!" Pidge blushed as Princess Malocoti pressed a kiss on her cheek.

"You and yours are always welcome here!"

"Well, um thank you!"

Lance frowned and crossed his arms. "First Blue, then Hunk, now Pidge. Is everyone going to get an alien girlfriend except me?"

 _Well, technically Merla's the same species as me so not an alien girlfriend._

"In your defense, I think it's pretty clear none of us except Pidge are the princess's type," Hunk pointed out.

"You never stood a chance," Keith snorted as the princess pressed another kiss to the flustered cheeks of the Green Paladin.

"That's really not helping. At least I know I'll get a girlfriend before _you_ ," Lance shot back.

Merla nudged Lance's side with a mewl and Keith flushed.

 _Merla! Stop being mean!_

"Alright, I think we should get going! Gotta save Coran, right? Let's go guys!" Pidge called, peeling herself away from the princess and running over to Shiro's side. "No time to waste. Sorry, princess!"

Shiro, taking pity on her, nodded. "She's right. We need to get going. Thank you again for your help. Let's move out."

With Pidge in the lead, the paladins left the small planning room and returned to their lions.

"Farewell, Pidge, paladins! May we meet again."

Lance sighed as he dropped into his seat.

 _Don't worry, Lance. You'll find your soul-bound soon enough._

"Thanks, Blue."

Lance blinked, then rubbed at his head. What had just happened?

He felt his connection with Blue buzz with excitement, but that was it.

He pulled himself together as the others took to the air and quickly followed.


	20. Mind Over Meow-tter

~Ugh! We've been flying forever! How much farther?~

~Don't you mean, are we there yet?~

~Are we there yet? Are we there yet?~

~Merla, Chip, enough. Blue, don't encourage them.~

~Yes, dad.~

~Gross, could you imagine Ryou being our dad!~

~That'd make Blue our aunt and you'd be-~

~Yes, Chip, thank you for that.~

~Knock it off you two.~

~Oh, come on, Ryou. They're just keeping busy. The last thing we need is those two getting bored.~

~Might I remind you the last time I got bored, it resulted in all of us figuring out how to separate from our metallic forms? I'd say me getting bored is very profitable!~

~Merla, love, that is literally one moderately good instance tucked within millions of terrible ones.~

~Kiss a kwaila!~

~We're flying right now, I can't kiss you.~

~BURN!~

~I'm going to kick your-~

~I'm surrounded by children. Honestly, can we have five minutes of quiet. Just five.~

…

 _"Anyone else tired?"_

~Ha! Pua's human spoke first!~

~Hunk didn't count. Besides, it wasn't a competition.~

 _"No."_

~Keith, I'm tired! Tell them I'm tired!~

~No, you're not.~

 _"Okay, just asking. It's been a while since we've, you know, not been fighting or adventuring or anything."_

~Point.~

~Better point, the three of us got blasted out of the sky an hour or so ago. I think we're due for a nap.~

 _"You think we have it bad? At least our life force wasn't sucked out to fuel an entire planet. Princess Allura still hasn't fully healed."_

~Listen to your paladin, Merla.~

~A good mother listens to her children, but that doesn't mean she has to obey!~

 _"Speaking of Princesses, didn't Malocoti say we'd find this zigg-a-whatever here?"_

 _"Ziggurat. It's a step pyramid."_

 _"Then why don't they call it a pyramid?"_

~Probably because most people think of the Egyptian pyramids when you just say pyramid. Ziggurat's look much diff- Oh! Pidge!~

 _"Just keep looking. Wait, I'm getting a reading! There!"_

The lions landed and everyone walked out towards the ziggurat.

"It's massive! So inside is where we'll find this sphinx guy that'll tell us where the pearl is?"

~Not exactly.~

The paladins jumped back with a shout as the ziggurat came apart, rearranging itself into the shape of a creature with the four-legged lower body of a feline and the upper body of a winged humanoid.

~HI ZYLIN!~ Chip chirped.

~Chip, flirt with your soul-bound later,~ Pua huffed.

~He is _not_ my soul-bound anymore!~

~Hello, Great Pride. It is good to see you all again after so long,~ the sphinx hummed before announcing, " **I am the Great Universal Sphinx! Why have you disturbed me?** "

~Why is your soul-bound always so dramatic?~

~PUA!~

"Wow!"

"We're looking for the Yalexian Pearl. We were told you could help us find it. We need it to rescue our friend."

~Can you just tell them instead of being your usual difficult self?~ Ryou asked.

~No, My King. There are rules and traditions that must be followed, even by you and yours,~ he answered. " **I am a repository for great research. I have been analyzing life throughout the cosmos for over a million years. Of course I know where the pearl is; however, I do not know whether you are worthy of the information. Tell me, who is the most knowledgeable amongst you?** "

"Her."

~Chip.~

"The green one."

~Her.~

"The short one."

~Pidge.~

"That's Pidge."

~Chip.~

"Me."

~Me.~

~Six, four, in favor of the human.~

Chip shot her sister a glare, which was met with a completely unrepentant look.

" **It is decided. Your body, mind, and spirit shall be tested. Enter to prove yourself… and save your friend.** "

Zylin collapsed back into Ziggurat form.

~Nice going, Merla,~ Pua huffed.

~What?~

~We would have been better off allowing Chip to face the trials,~ Ryou growled as the group began heading inside.

~Psh, Pidge will be fine.~

"Why'd he ask for the smartest person if there's going to be a test of the body?"

~You were saying?~

~Come on, am I the only one that has faith in Chip's palain?~

"You're the smart one. Shouldn't you know that?"

~I have all the faith in her. That doesn't change the fact that we would have had much higher odds if I'd been the one selected.~

" **Commence test of body.** "

Suddenly mushrooms jumped off the walls and attached themselves to the male paladins. Their cats shivered as they felt the connections between them become clouded.

"What are you doing!?"

" **The spores control your friends.** "

~Keith!~ Merla shouted, running for her cub, but a cyclone of sand rose up around the cats before solidifying into a glass dome.

The paladins rose up, glaring at Pidge with eyes covered by a white film.

" **You must defeat your allies in combat. Without the assistance of the Great Pride.** "

Shiro's hand lit up with energy and he charged Pidge.

" **They will fight exactly as your friends fight.** "

Pidge brought up her shield, but the blow was still strong enough that she was knocked back into Keith's arms.

" **Let's see if you're smart enough to defeat them.** "

Pidge kicked off Shiro's chest, launching herself and Keith into a pillar. Taking the brunt of the impact, the Red Paladin released her on instinct. Freed, Pidge darted to the side, only to receive a kick to the side from Shiro that knocked her to the ground at the other paladins' feet.

~Pidge!~ Chip yowled.

~That's it!~ Merla hissed. She faded into quintessence and shot forwards.

The glass held her back just the same.

There was a thundercrack and she lit up with a wave of blazing blue flames that rolled across the dome.

~Merla!~ Ryou roared as the four ducked under the assaulting heat.

The flames died back into quintessence and Merla collapsed into her cheetah form, panting and shaking with anger as she glared up at the unaffected glass.

~Zylin, let us out!~ Blue growled.

~I apologize, Princess Salia, but I cannot. The rules must be followed. I will not control you out of respect, but you cannot be allowed to interfere.~

The five refocused on the fight, just in time to see Pidge bring a boulder down on Keith.

~I'm going to kill him,~ Merla groaned.

Pidge scrambled out of the way as Shiro appeared behind her. She shuffled backwards as she brought up a holoscreen on her gauntlet.

~What's she doing?~ Blue asked.

~Using her brain,~ Chip said.

~I thought this was a test of body,~ Merla sighed.

~Well, the brain is a part of the body.~

~I thought Chip was supposed to be the know-it-all, Pua.~

Shiro stood over Pidge and bought back his fist. Suddenly his arm locked up and the glow died away. The shock even snapped Shiro free of the mind control for half a second.

Pidge used the pause to slip forwards and-

~By the Anodites! Did she seriously just deck _Shiro!?_ You go Pidge!~

Pidge dropped to her knees, panting. "Sorry I had to hack your hand, Shiro, but I'll turn it back on."

The glass dome collapsed into sand as Zylin said, " **Impressive. You will rise to the next level.** "

~Keith!~ Merla called, shakily rising to her feet before she and the others rushed over to their paladins. She froze as she saw the skin around his eyes slowly fading from lavender back to normal.

"Hey girl," Keith said, reaching up to pat her on the head.

She flinched and focused in in time to see the last of the film disappearing from his yellow eyes.

"You okay?"

~Fine. You?~

"A little sore, but alright," he groaned, sitting up. Merla helped him to his feet as the lavender faded from his skin and his eyes began to shift back to purple.

"Sorry, Pidge. We couldn't control ourselves," Hunk told the girl as she and Pua helped him to his feet.

"How'd you beat us all, anyway?" Keith asked, rubbing his side.

"I keep running files on all of your weaknesses. I exploited those weaknesses."

Everyone except Chip stared at the girl.

"Our weaknesses?" Hunk asked incredulously as the group started heading up the stairs to the next room of the ziggurat. "How could you keep a running tab of our weaknesses?"

"Yeah, that's messed up," Lance agreed.

"Smart if you ask me."

~Hate to say it, but me too,~ Pua chuffed. ~It _would_ help us better cover the team's weaknesses.~

"It worked, but if that information were ever to fall into the wrong hands…"

"Look, I'm sorry. I know it's weird to do, to keep all that information on you all, my friends, but it's just how I am. It's my nature."

Chip growled softly and nuzzled her side.

The group reached the top of the stairs to discover… a giant chessboard?

" **The second challenge will be a game of chess.** "

"Chess, huh? How do we both know about chess?"

" **This is not the first time your species was tested. They failed, but remembered the game.** "

~Seriously?~

"Wait, what!?"

~You're kidding?~

" **I visited Earth long ago. The game remained with your kind. Even though they got it wrong for a while, trying to make the king the most powerful piece, but eventually your society corrected itself.** "

~Oh my- that explains so much!~

"That's crazy!"

~How long were you there? How many humans did you interact with? When-~

" **Can we get back to the test. Please?** "

~But-~

~Chip.~

"Fine."

" **A draw will be considered a loss for you.** "

"Doesn't sound too hard. Who am I playing?

" **Yourself.** " Another mushroom hopped out of the shadows and latched onto Pidge before jumping across the room.

"Pidge! Are you okay?" Shiro asked, stepping forward to help support the girl.

"Yeah, but I feel like I stayed up all night _not_ studying."

" **The spore has absorbed your mind. It will use your skills against you. And to be certain there's no interfering…** "

Holes opened up beneath the cats.

~Not again,~ Merla hissed as they fell down. The sand of the tunnel swirled around them before shooting them out onto the chessboard.

Ryou landed in the spot of the white king, with Blue next to him as a bishop and Pua next to her as a knight. On his other side, past the Queen, Chip and Merla were also a bishop and knight respectively.

" **You will have thirty ticks for each move. Begin!** "

~Yeah, I'm not doing this.~

~Don't move.~ Chip snapped at her sister's paw before it could leave her square.

~Why?~

~Have you never seen Harry Potter?~

~Harry what?~

~By the Anodites! Just stay on your square unless Pidge tells you to move.~

~Great.~

* * *

~Remind me again why I can't just kill the king? It's right there.~

~Once again, that's not how knights move,~ Chip sighed from off to the side where she and Blue were lounging after having been taken out.

~But if I have this chance why shouldn't I just take it?~

~Because you're a knight, not an assassin.~

~Not in this game, at least,~ Blue snickered, rolling back to her feet and yawning. ~Give her a break, Chip. She _is_ the one in the room with the most experience attempting to kill a king.~

~Thank you, love, that's very helpful.~

~She's also the one with the most _failed_ attempts at killing a king.~

"Checkmate!"

~Thank the Anodites!~ Merla chirped, running over to the stairs that were rising up to allow the cats to reach their paladins. ~Are we almost done with this nerd stuff?~

" **Now to the most difficult challenge of all…** "

The moment all the cats had made it onto the platform, it shot upwards. It carried them up to the top of the temple before knocking them down the side. Once they'd reached the ground, Zylin reformed into a sphinx.

" **What can be totally broken apart and yet reform stronger than ever?** "

"Oh, I actually know it!"

"What is it?"

"It's Voltron!"

" **Incorrect! You have failed!** "

"What? Then what is it?"

" **Hope. The correct answer was hope.** "

"But Voltron is applicable! And very relevant!"

" **I'm sorry, but the answer was hope. And now I will never tell you where the pearl is!** "

~Are you kidding me!~

~ZYLIN!~

"I mean, like _a lot_ of things could have been the answer if you think about it. Like love."

~A kingdom can be stronger once it's brought back together,~ Ryou offered.

"I've heard of people breaking swords and then smelting them even stronger."

~Bones. Bones are stronger after you break them!~ Merla hissed.

"My heart is stronger than ever, despite it being broken many times."

"Isn't that love, like Hunk said?"

"Oh be quiet before I break you and see if you reform stronger."

"I think Pidge's answer should be honored," Shiro said, stepping between the two fighting boys.

" **Well that's not how it works! I make the rules! And I'm not helping you at all!** "

~Zylin!~ Ryou roared.

~I'm sorry, My King, but the rules say the test of spirit is mine to set and this is the one I've chosen. The human has failed,~ Zylin growled. " **Now get in the lions and leave!** "

"I've always hated riddles," Keith growled as they all returned to the lions.

As Pidge passed the Red Lion, she turned back and pointed up at Zylin. "You know what? You want to test my spirit? Try standing between me saving my friend. You're gonna have _hoped_ that you hadn't!" She jumped inside Chip and grabbed her controls in a white-knuckle grip. "Mind if I say it, Shiro?"

 _"Go for it."_

"Form Voltron!"

Pidge relaxed as images flickered past her eyes, her mind linking up with Voltron's system. Meadows, forests, cliffs, hills, wrenches, whisks, storms, thrones, charts, shields, volcanoes, wildfires, swords, stars, glaciers, rivers, paintings, and sweaters all flashed through to leave her feeling connected.

"Tell us where the pearl is!"

" **You are more foolish than I thought! I will crush you!** "

The sphinx hit them right in the jaw.

~Ow! Zylin! Dim!~

They crouched down and Pidge called out, "Keith, help me stabilize. Hunk, lock it up. Lance, do your thing!"

 _"Oh yeah! Finally! Voltron Leg Swipe!"_ the Blue Paladin cheered as they spun about, swinging their leg out.

The sphinx lifted into the air before the could hit.

~Whoops.~

 _"Oh come on!"_

They shot into the air, then body slammed him to the ground.

~YIELD!~

" **Okay! Okay! I'll tell you,** " he groaned and they got off him. As he stood, he said, " **I'm sorry. I know it was a horrible riddle. I just do that so people can't answer correctly. I do it to make myself feel superior.** "

~Never changes… Not my soul-bound anymore!~

" **It's pathetic really.** "

 _"I'll say,"_ Lance snorted.

" **Hey, I saw in your mind. Do we really want to get into who's more pa-** " he cut off with a flinch. He knelt down and ducked his head. " **Apologies, Blue Paladin.** "

~Go Blue!~

 _"Uh, what just happened?"_ Hunk asked.

 _"I think Blue just told him off,"_ Lance said, sounding awed.

" **She did. I spoke hastily and without thought -** "

~The usual.~

" **\- and should not have said what I did. From your response, I can see that you all have come far in such a short time. I can tell you will do great things as the Great Pride's chosen knights.** "

"Great Pride?" Pidge questioned.

" **The pearl is in the Evershadow or our moon. But it is a dangerous place and darkness lurks below.** " He stood up and began to collapse back into a ziggurat. ~Take care, Great Pride. And farewell sweet Dansa. Until we meet again.~

~Shut up.~

 _"So… that's it then?"_ Hunk asked.

"Apparently."

 _"I think Blue still wants to kick the pyramid."_

 _"I_ know _Merla wants her to."_

 _"Alright, let's head out. Looks like we're heading up to the darkside of the moon."_

"Do you think they'll have cookies?"

 _"Cookies?"_

~Merla!~

 _"I'll explain on the way,"_ Lance sighed.


	21. Getting the Purr-l

"I still don't get why anyone would think _cookies_ would be motivation to join the bad guys," Keith huffed, watching the stars flicker past as they flew towards Krell's moon.

 _"_ _You've never had Hunk's cookies."_

 _"_ _Aw, Lance!"_

 _"_ _Yeah, I'd join the darkside for Hunk's homemade peanut butter cookies,"_ Pidge agreed.

 _"_ _Guys, stop!"_

 _"_ _Let's hope Zarkon never gets his recipes, then, if half the team's bailing out just for cookies,"_ Shiro laughed.

 _"_ _Just! JUST! Hunk's cookies are a gift from the Anodites!"_ Lance gasped.

Keith's eyes widened.

 _"_ _Anodites?"_ Pidge asked. _"_ _What's an Anodite?"_

 _"_ _Did you mean anodyne?" Shiro asked._

 _"_ _I… I meant gods. I don't know where that came from. Ugh! Words!"_

 _"_ _Same,"_ Pidge sighed.

Keith bit his lip. "Merla?" he whispered.

~Yes. No. Maybe.~

"Helpful."

~Blue not sure. Kind of. Sort of. Maybe. Still together. More confusing.~

Keith nodded. The cats were usually pretty scrambled when fused.

 _"_ _Stay vigilant. The yalex could be anywhere,"_ Shiro said as they landed on the moon's surface.

"Or anything. That sphinx didn't provide a lot of detail."

~Buzz.~

 _"_ _It must be a giant oyster, right? I mean, if to save Coran we have to harvest a pearl…"_

 _"_ _If we went through a sphinx, a dragon, and two giant whatever-they-were just to say_ Form Blazing Shucker, _I'm going to be a little let down."_

 _"_ _I won't. We could take that giant oyster back to the Fripping Bulgogian and have them fry it up for us. That might make this nightmare worthwhile."_

~Yum.~

 _"_ _Let's just find a way to save Coran. That will make it all worthwhile."_

Something wandered past them and they turned to look at it.

 _"_ _Do you think that's the yalex?"_ Pidge asked.

They took a step towards it and it looked up. It stared at them for a moment before continuing on.

 _"_ _If that's the yalex, he's a pretty cool cucumber. We just landed a giant fightin' robot on his moon and he's all like,_ meh, _"_ Lance snorted.

 _"_ _Let's find out who it is. But be ready. I have a feeling we're going to need Voltron before all this is over,"_ Shiro said. _"_ _Disassemble!"_

Keith sighed as the air cleared around him with Voltron's deconstruction. He shook it off and guided Merla around to follow the unknown creature.

 _"_ _Let's set down over near that mound,"_ Shiro ordered.

 _"_ _Masks up,"_ Pidge warned. _"_ _The atmosphere here is poisonous. Looks like some kind of underground methane reserve coming out of the hole back there."_

Merla started snickering.

~Mature,~ Pua huffed.

The lions set down and Keith stood up. "You coming?"

There was some grumbling, but Merla formed next to him before activating her mask. _~You know this stuff is unnecessary. I could just as easily take the form of something that can survive this atmosphere,~_ she growled, scratching at the armor.

"Better safe than sorry."

She snorted heading for the exit. _~Let's just go and get this over with.~_

He nodded and followed. "So, Lance?"

 _~No idea. If he can, he sure doesn't know it.~_

"Great."

The paladins all left the lions with the cats at their sides and Shiro called out, _"_ _Hello."_

The creature, which looked similar to a camel, turned his head. _"_ _Have you come for the Yalex?"_

 _"_ _Yes. Do you know where it is?"_ Shiro asked.

 _"_ _And what it is?"_ Hunk added.

The camel-person looked up at the sky. _"_ _Yes. Where, what… and when."_ He started walking again.

There was a moment's pause.

 _~I think this guy is nuts.~_

 _~Chip, be nice,~_ Ryou growled.

 _"_ _Follow me,"_ the stranger hummed before leading them on until they reached an airlock the let into the mound.

Once through, the group found themselves in a large cavern that had been carved into a beautiful temple.

 _"_ _Woah!"_ Hunk, Shiro, and Lance gasped.

"Impressive," Keith agreed.

Pidge looked at something on her gauntlet before nodding and turning off her mask. "The air's clean here."

The stranger set down his mask and handed the container he was carrying off to another of his kind before standing up onto two feet. "This is the Temple of the Yalex," he said, leading them to a pavilion where a few others of his kind were working.

"There don't seem to be enough of you here to grow all this grain," Shiro said, looking around.

~Doesn't,~ Chip huffed and Merla hissed at her.

"Oh, we did not do it alone. The rest of our people left the moon and returned to Krell after the growing season. Only the high priests remain. We will stay here and devote our remaining days to bringing about the Yalex."

"Why are they chewing up the grain and spitting it in those jars?" Keith asked, staring at the group of priests in the center of the pavilion.

~Well, they are camels,~ Blue growled with disgust. ~Aren't they supposed to spit and drool as much as little Nico on carrot day?~

Lance snickered.

"Here we dry the grain, then masticate it and preserve it in the cuspidors. When they are full, we carry them to the eye of the Evershadow and pour them in."

"Ewww. Why?" Hunk groaned.

"To feed the spirit of the moon. To strengthen Him."

"Okay, this guy is looney-tooney," Lance muttered.

~Agreed,~ Merla snorted.

Pidge glanced around the temple before her eyes landed on the ceiling. Her eyes widened as she spotted the giant white orb attached to the ceiling by claw-like ornaments. "Wait! Is that the pearl!?" she shouted, pointing at it.

~I wish,~ Pua sighed.

The group all looked up and the stranger said, "Yes…"

"I knew it!" Pidge cheered. "The whole place is a map! Score one for Pidge!"

"… the pearl, the moon, the eye, time, life, all are the circle. Never ending, never broken."

"Aw. Stupid symbolism."

"Ok, this guy is _definitely_ looney-tooney," Lance said, turning around and starting to walk off. "Let's go look for the yalex."

~I'm with him. Let's go Keith!~ Merla purred as she and Blue followed.

"You do not need to look for it. Can you not see the calendar? The Yalex comes soon."

"How do you know when it's coming?" Keith asked.

"Who told you this?" Shiro added.

"We follow the ways of the Haruspex. She tells us of the end times," the priest said, setting his hand on the wall near the carving of a hooded woman. He moved away to grab a new container. "Come. Let us feed the moon spirit."

"So this yalex, what is it?" Shiro asked.

"None living have seen the Yalex. Seeing the Yalex means death. The Yalex is the end of days."

"That doesn't sound good," Hunk said.

~Ryou, this guy's insane. Can't Merla just tell them?~ Chip whinned.

~Let them figure it out on their own.~

* * *

~Well, they figured it out on their own,~ Chip growled, floating through the debris of what had once been Krell's moon as the insect-like monstrosity that was the yalex crawled free of it's egg at the satellite's center.

~Just get back your metallic form,~ Ryou growled back. ~Is everyone else alright? How are the paladins?~

 _"_ _Is everyone okay? See if you can jetpack to your lions!"_

~Lance and I are okay.~

 _"_ _Me and Hunk are okay!"_

~Hunk's panicking, but fine. Same for me.~

 _"_ _Speak for yourself! I'm alive, but_ okay _got blown up with that moon."_

~I've got Keith.~

 _"_ _I'm headed toward my lion, Shiro."_

~Can I get some help over here?~

 _"_ _Pidge! Are you out there?"_

~What's wrong Chi- Oh.~

 _"_ _I'm out here. And I'm not alone."_

~Pidge needs help!~ Blue and Merla both shouted.

Keith came into the Red Lion's cockpit and froze as he spotted Pidge floating right in front of the yalex's massive eyes.

 _"_ _Shiro!"_ Lance shouted as one of the eyes began to glow.

The Black Lion shot forwards, swallowing up a screaming Pidge just as a laser shot out of the eye. _"_ _I have Pidge. Taking her to Chip. Everyone get into formation,"_ Shiro called as they swerved around the yalex's blasts. _"_ _We have to take this thing out before it destroys planet Krell."_

Keith, Lance, and Hunk flew over to where Ryou was handing Pidge off to Chip. As soon as she was ready, the five shot off in formation.

 _"_ _Form Voltron!"_

Keith breathed deeply as the smells of Voltron settled around him. The scents of smoke, sea mist, paint, rain, books, grass, metal, soil, and cinnamon all flowing around him and leaving Keith feeling pumped for the fight to come.

 _"_ _Now let's get that yalex!"_

As they shot towards the yalex, they spotted it preparing another blast. _"_ _Shields up!"_

A flicker of metal scented acknowledgment then their shield stood before them to take the blast. They screamed as the blast slammed into them, knocking them back.

~Ow!~

"This thing is too huge to fight! Our weapons don't have any effect," Keith pointed out as they shot a blast at the beast.

 _"_ _If we take another direct hit, our shield is going to explode!"_ Pidge shouted as they took part of a second blast on their shield.

 _"_ _It can shoot out of every eye! We're bound to get hit sooner or later!"_ Lance yelled back as they took evasive action.

 _"_ _Run!"_ Hunk screamed. A cinnamon scented memory of the monster they'd faced on the Balmera flickered through their minds. _"_ _Too many eyes!"_

"Wait a second," Shiro muttered and they turned to look at the yalex. He looked closer at the eyes and his own widened. "The eye that is blind is most prized! The priest was right!"

~There we go!~

 _"_ _I think we just lost Shiro,"_ Lance groaned.

"No, I know where the pearl is! It's in the center of the yalex's head! The white eye!"

 _"_ _Oh, perfect. Let's just go down there and get it,"_ Hunk said.

~Merla!~

 _"_ _Yeah, I hate to say this, Shiro, but maybe it's time we gave up."_

They ducked behind a rock and Shiro said, "No! We can beat this thing, get that pearl, and save Coran! We just need a way to get in close." He thought for a moment before asking, "Pidge, if Lance can form a layer of ice on our shield, could that act as a mirror to deflect the yalex's lasers?"

 _"_ _A few times, maybe, but then the heat will melt the ice."_

 _"_ _And we'll all be cooked,"_ Hunk added with a whimper.

"Then we'll have to be fast. Lance, split off and ice up that shield. Keith, Pidge is going to be handling defense, so you're going to have to reach in and pluck out that big white eye."

 _"_ _You got it."_

"Let's go Voltron!"

He felt the friendly and energized presences dissipate, leaving an uncomfortable hole as the Blue Lion broke away to cover their shield in ice. Once the presences had returned they shot out from behind the rock and charged the yalex.

"Nice one, Pidge!" he cheered as their shield reflected the blasts away from them.

~Yes. No. Stop fighting. Blue gets credit too.~

"Almost there, get ready, Keith!"

They reached out for the pearl, but their shift in stance caused the shield to reflect the lasers back at the yalex.

"Uh-oh."

 **Kaboom!**

* * *

 _"_ _So how much do you think a pearl this size would be worth on earth?"_ Pidge asked. _"_ _I mean, it's bigger than Voltron."_

 _"_ _It's probably worthless. What would you even do with a pearl this size? It's way too big for jewelry,"_ Keith pointed out.

 _"_ _I'd carve it up into a house and live in it,"_ Lance stated immediately. _"_ _I'd wake up feeling like a mermaid."_

 _"_ _I'm pretty sure if Mermaids did exist, which they don't, they wouldn't live in giant, hollowed out pearls."_

 _"_ _Pidge, we have magical alien cats! How could you doubt the existence of mermaids?"_

 _"_ _I'm with her. Mermaids are just a hoax. It's not like we're talking about Mo-"_

Fear flooded Shiro. "Nope. We are not having this discussion right now," Shiro said, cutting Keith off.

 _"_ _What discussion?"_ Hunk asked.

"Nothing."

 _"_ _Shiro, it-"_

"Keith, we are not having this discussion. You and Matt wouldn't talk to each other for a week after last time."

 _"_ _Oh my god!_ You _were the one who said Mothman was better than Nessie! You dick!"_

"Pidge, pl-"

 _"_ _I said it and I meant it,"_ Keith snapped.

 _"_ _So how about that yalex, huh?"_ Lance tried.

 _"_ _The Loch Ness Monster is far more amazing. It's legend is far older an-"_

 _"_ _Geese Lance, what kind of can of worms did you open?"_ Hunk chuckled nervously.

 _"_ _It's a glorified plesiosaur! Moth-"_

"Guys, enough! This isn't important," Shiro groaned.

Lance scoffed. _"_ _Yeah, it's not like either of those are even real, so y-"_

"Oh no," Shiro muttered. He leaned forwards and put his head in his hands.

Sympathy floated to him from Ryou.

 _"_ _What did you just say!?"_

 _"_ _How dare you! You come into my house!"_

 _"_ _Well at least they're not fighting with each other anymore,"_ Hunk said over the two's yelling.

"Guys, please, can we do this some other time?" Shiro begged. "We need to get this pearl back so we can rescue Coran."

 _"_ _But he sa-"_

"Keith."

 _"_ _Fine, whatever."_

 _"_ _Yeah, sure. I'll just toss Lance's beauty supplies out the airlock when we get back to the castle."_

 _"_ _Try it you gremlin an-"_

"No one is tossing anything out of the airlock! Enough!"

~Merla, Blue, Control.~

 _"_ _Blue agrees with me!"_

~BLUE!~

 _"_ _How would you know. You said you can't hear her!"_

"Keith! Lance!"

 _"_ _It's him, and I still have no idea what you're talking about!"_

 _"_ _Oh thank god!"_ Hunk said as the gravy halo over the Fripping Bulgogian came into view.

"Alright team, let's just focus on setting this big guy down carefully, alright?" Shiro asked.

Hesitant, annoyed agreement came from the impulsive, calculating, and energized presences while the guarded one pulsed with relieved, cheerful assent.

They dropped down through the atmosphere to land next to the tavern. They took a knee and slowly lowered the pearl to the ground.

Shiro shivered as the presences faded as Voltron broke apart and the team landed.

The paladins rushed towards the building where Coran and the Mu waited while the cats followed at a more sedate pace. They reached the steps just in time to hear Coran announce, "Successful training mission, paladins! Fried turtle scallions on me!"

~Can we get some of that sea-turkey?~ Pua asked.

"That whole thing was a training mission?" Keith barked.

~Sea-turkey? Keith! Get me some!~

Keith shot her a glare while Pidge said, "We nearly got killed!"

~Yes, Lance, please! Sea-turkey!~

"Sea-turkey?" Lance muttered and Keith shot him a look.

"You didn't have any fun? Last time we did this, Alfor got into some kind of board game with a lion thingy. He never stopped talking about it. Lance, you didn't meet any girls?"

~No, but Pidge did!~

"Tell me about it," Lance sighed.

Coran gave him a bemused look while Shiro looked from him, to Keith, then down at the cats, and back to Keith. "Oh."

Meanwhile Keith had turned back to Coran and asked, "So you weren't really in danger?"

"No, that was just to motivate you. But Krell was in danger from the yalex, and we knew Voltron was the only thing that could possibly stop it. And now Kythylian can sell the pearl and use the GAC to fight Zarkon."

* * *

Merla purred as she ripped a chunk of meat off a leg of sea-turkey.

"Do you think it actually tastes like turkey?" Lance asked as he watched the cats with disgusted fascination.

~No, more like…~ Blue trailed off, cocking his head.

~Lizard,~ Merla purred. ~It tastes like lizard mixed with frog.~

~Lizard?~ Blue questioned before snapping at Chip, who had tried to grab one of his wings.

 _Lizard_ , Lance mouthed, nose scrunching up. He looked over at Keith, who was glaring at him. "What?"

~We lived in the desert. It was just a lot of lizards, snakes, rabbits, and roadrunners okay?~

"Nothing."

Shiro glanced up and frowned at the beginnings of another argument. "Lance…"

The Blue Paladin flinched. "What? He started it!"

"Can I talk to you outside for a moment?"

"Stupid Keith," Lance grumbled under his breath and got up to follow the Black Paladin.

Blue looked up, but Lance waved him off so he focused back in on his sea-turkey. Just in time to spot Chip sneaking off. ~You little brat! Give that back!~

Shiro led the sulking teen out of the dining room where the team was having dinner, having returned to the castle once again.

"Can I just say-"

"Lance, you're not in trouble."

"Then why am I out here?"

"I need to ask… Can you hear Blue?"

"Can I- Did Keith set you up to this? Yes, for the last time, I can hear him! I'm not deaf!"

"Keith ask- Of course he asked you. No, look, obviously you can hear him, but can you… can you understand him?"

"Understand him?"

 _This would be so much easier if Keith wasn't being so difficult,_ Shiro sighed. "Like, when he makes growls, you can actually understand what he's saying. I mean, the same as how you said you did when you first flew Blue, just stronger. Like, as if he's actually talking, I guess."

Lance stared at him blankly.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, bu- Lance where are you going?"

Shiro watched the boy run back into the dining room before taking chase. He slipped through the doorway just in time to see Lance drop to his knees in front of the tiger. "Uh, Lance…"

"Oh my god! Is it true? Say something!"

Blue just stared at his paladin.

"Lance, you feeling okay?" Hunk asked.

"Shiro, what'd you do to him?" Pidge snickered.

Shiro ran a hand down his face, then looked over at Keith. "I asked him about the thing."

"The thing?"

"Say something, buddy!"

"Oh, that thing."

Keith turned to look at Lance, who was nose to nose with Blue as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Speak," Lance whispered.

Immediately Keith and Merla started laughing.

~By the Anodites! Blue, I think your paladin broke!~

~Merla, enough! Blue, say something already,~ Ryou huffed.

~Like what? Wait, no, quiznak! Give me a second to think of something! This is an important moment!~

"Oh my god."

~Quiznak!~ Blue groaned.

~Great job, love.~

~Kiss a kwaila!~

"Oh my God! I thought I was just… I didn't think… But it was… You can though! That's amazing!"

"Alright, who let Lance at the nunvill?" Pidge teased.

"Would someone explain what's going on?" Allura asked.

"Uh, yeah, seconded. Is Lance okay?" Hunk said, watching his friend throw his arms around Blue's neck.

"Lance is fine, he's just an idiot," Keith snorted.

"Blue! You're so amazing buddy! So amazing! The best! Dalia's beagle has nothing on you! No! You're purr-fect! Out of this world! You're…"

"Yeah, but this is crazy, even for him," Pidge said, watching the boy continue on complimenting and borderline flirting with the tiger, who was soaking it all up with pride.

Shiro looked over at Keith, who shrugged. The Black Paladin chuckled and sat back down at the table. "I'll explain."


	22. Hiss-tory Comes to Haunt

"This is incredible," Pidge muttered, shifting through the information she and Hunk had gathered so far.

Chip purred in agreement as she watched her paladin work from where she was lying on her back on Rover, just above and behind the girl's shoulder.

"Maybe…" Pidge started typing in a program to test the energy frequency in comparison to a scan done on a sample from the Balmera.

 _"_ _Pidge, please come down to the detainment room."_

Pidge groaned and Chip huffed at Coran's call. The cat rolled over, but stayed on the drone while Pidge stood. The three traveled up to where they were holding Sendak. The others were already there, watching as Coran set up devices on the Galra's container.

"Did you and Hunk get everything all fixed?" Pidge asked.

"Yes, it was mostly just a few circuits that had degraded after sitting around for so long," Hunk answered for Coran.

"He's not going to wake up, right?" Lance whispered.

"No, the process is easiest when the subject is unconscious," Coran chipped in.

"How's Allura?" Shiro asked.

"She was up visiting her father earlier, but now she's resting."

Pidge glanced around and frowned when she only saw Pua and Ryou, who Chip jumped down to join. "Where's Merla and Blue?"

Keith's mouth twitched into a smirk while Lance groaned. "Ryou's making them patrol the castle because they fell asleep on guard duty, or something. I haven't seen her in hours!"

 _So those two have been alone together, for hours, unsupervised?_ Pidge shared a look with Keith and could see he was thinking the same thing. Those two were definitely not patrolling.

She kept her mouth shut though, as did he.

"I still can't get over the fact you two can talk to them. Like, really talk," Hunk said, glancing over at Pua.

"Quite. The paladins of old never developed such a connection and they had deca-phoebs with the lions. We knew they were sentient, of course, but we never imagined they had this level of sapience!" Coran agreed.

"Maybe that was your problem. You didn't give them a chance," Keith pointed out.

Coran nodded. "That may be true. Your species seems far more at ease with attributing the most random of things with both sentience and sapience. Take Number Five's little friend there."

Pidge glared at the man and tucked Rover to her chest. "Rude! Don't listen to him, Rover. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"You see. Ah, yes. Okay, guys, Sendak's almost all hooked up."

* * *

~Ugh, this is stupid. The castle has alarms to tells us if there are intruders! Why do we have to patrol?~ Merla whined for the hundredth time.

~You know your whining isn't making the time go any faster, love,~ Blue growled.

The cheetah huffed and looked away from the tiger. He eyes caught sight of the door to the bridge and her tail flicked. _I know something that will pass the time._ ~Hey, do you hear that?~

~Hear what?~

~This way!~ she hissed and darted into the bridge.

Blue followed at a more cautious pace, glancing around the bridge. She stopped a few paces in and cocked her head. ~There's no one here.~

~Exactly!~ Merla purred. She jumped onto the tiger's back and started nuzzling and licking her neck. ~Just you and me!~

Blue snorted, but laid down so she could curl up with her soul-bound. ~We are supposed to be patrolling.~

~We've been patrolling for forever. Break time!~

~Ryou's going to be ticked.~

~Ryou doesn't have to know.~

~We both know he's going to find out.~

~Sh! Cuddle me!~

Blue snorted, but gave into the cheetah's wishes. They stayed like that for a few minutes, cuddling and nuzzling and grooming one another until a laugh broke the silence.

 ** _"I see you two are just as disgusting as you used to be."_**

The two were instantly on their feet, growling at the figure that had appeared atop the control center. She appeared to be comprised out of pure energy, crafted into a vaguely feline like form with long curling ears and a tail like a comet's. She was mostly gold, but with a fuchsia halo of energy floating over her head and matching designs seemingly carved into her, jagged like lightning. Her only other features were the two silver spots on her face in the place of eyes.

~Maece!~ Merla spat.

 ** _"It's been a long time, my friend."_**

~I am no friend of yours!~

~What are you doing here? How are you here?~

 ** _"No time to talk, unfortunately. Things to do. Organics to destroy. Until then!"_** the figure jumped over the two and passed through the door.

~Get back here you kwaila!~ Merla hissed, taking chase. She got into the hallway, but didn't see any sign of the figure.

~Merla, stop!~

~Stop?~ Merla growled, turning to Blue. ~Stop? Maece is here! We need to track her down and-~

~And what? We are not strong enough to fight her like this! And you heard what she said! She's targeting the organics.~

Merla froze. ~Keith, the paladins, Allura, Coran.~

~Exactly. We need to find Ryou and the others.~

~Right, you go-~

~No, we have a better chance against her if we stick together.~

~But…~ Merla's claws scraped against the floor. ~Fine!~

Blue nodded and then took the lead as they ran down the hall in search of their paladins and pride.

They rushed down a set of stairs and Merla turned left. ~I think Ryou is-~

~LANCE!~

Merla jumped and turned to see Blue rushing off to the right. ~Blue!~ she called running to catch up. ~What's wrong?~

~Something's wrong with Lance!~

~Maece?~

~I don't know. He's just really afraid. Come on!~

Merla nodded. She could feel Keith in the same area. He was more angry than scared, but the fear was still there.

They rushed down the halls as fast as they could and turned a corner just in time to see Keith get knocked down by the Gladiator while Lance wailed at him for help.

From inside the airlock.

~Lance!~ Blue shouted as Merla ran forwards and jumped onto the Gladiator's back.

"Thanks Merla. Lance, what are you doing in there?" Keith asked, taking a second to breath and turning to Lance.

"I need help! Because if you don't get me out of here right now, I'm going to be sucked out into space!"

" _Three, two, one. Doors opening."_

Keith's eyes widened. He glance back at the Gladiator and shouted, "Blue, Merla, brace yourselves!" He slammed his hand on the airlocks door control and the door slid open. He just managed to grab Lance's hand before the exterior door slid open and the hallway depressurized. Merla and Blue took cover behind a pillar while the Guardian they'd been fighting was sucked out the airlock. Keith pulled Lance in before shutting the door.

They collapsed to the ground and took a few deep breaths before Keith spun on Lance. "What were you doing out there?"

"Who was that guy?"

"He was trying to kill me!"

"Well, is he the Castle? Because that's who's trying to kill me!"

~The castle? We thought it was Maece,~ Blue said as the cats came over to them.

~You sure it wasn't Maece?~ Merla agreed.

"Who?" Keith asked.

~An old enemy,~ the two said at once.

"Well I didn't see anyone. Just heard Coran calling for help and then the airlock shut me in."

"I was just training when the gladiator turned homicidal."

~That… doesn't sound like Maece.~

Blue went still. ~Maybe it wasn't. We only saw her on the bridge and she just appeared. She didn't talk like us and I thought it was just because of time, like Zylin, but she also didn't respond to us either.~

~What are you saying?~

~I'm saying she might have just been the castle playing tricks on us like what happened to Keith and Lance.~

"What's going on? What's Blue saying?"

"She said that Mah-eh-see might have been the castle too. But how could the castle recreate someone from your memories?"

~We are connected to the castle. It has access to our memories,~ Blue explained and Merla repeated it for Keith's benefit.

"So, it really is the castle then?" Lance asked and they all shared a look.

~Not good,~ Merla muttered.

The four took off running with a scream.

* * *

Shiro glared at Sendak through the glass of the cryo-pod and behind him his liger did the same.

"What was the first rank you held in Zarkon's army?" he asked, getting more annoyed with every question that didn't receive an answer. "Where did you find the Red Lion? … What is Zarkon's greatest weakness?"

 ** _"What makes you think you can possibly defeat him?"_**

Both liger and human jerked at the sound of the Galra's voice. They looked at Sendak, to see that he was still asleep.

~What was that? It sounded like his voice was coming from everywhere.~

Shiro glanced back at Ryou before turning back to the memory tube. "If you were to attack Zarkon, where would you strike?"

 ** _"Why strike at all when you can join him?"_**

Shiro staggered backwards glancing around before focusing on Sendak with unseeing eyes.

Ryou growled and stepped up next to Shiro, but was hesitant to touch him. He could feel the fear and trauma clouding his paladins mind, but he didn't know what to do to help except to send as much comfort and reassurance across their bond as he could. ~Don't listen, Shiro. You're alright. I'm here. _You're_ here. We're safe. He's locked away.~

Shiro began shaking and breathing heavily and Ryou's heart ached.

~Shiro.~

* * *

~Ugh, food goo tastes even worse on fur,~ Pua groaned as he licked himself clean of the mess caused by the malfunctioning dispenser.

~I don't care what Merla says, I miss kibble!~ Chip huffed, licking at a particularly stubborn spot on her hip. ~It tasted fine and didn't make a mess.~

~Agreed. I hope Coran fi- Woah!~

The two cats blinked as they began to float into the air.

"Hunk, did you accidentally hit the anti-gravity switch?"

"Uh, no. There's no anti-gravity switch. Uh, is there?"

They turned to see their paladins floating off in Pidge's workspace near the Galran crystal.

~Should we help them?~

~Nah, Rover's got it,~ Chip replied as Rover flew up to Pidge's side. ~Coran wasn't exaggerating when he said this place was busted.~

~Maybe we ought to land somewhere. You know, before the vital stuff starts acting up. Like life support.~

~Good point. Let's find Blue or Merla after this and tell them to suggest it.~

"It's not working!" The cats looked over to see that Pidge, with help from Rover, had floated over to the control panel.

"What do you mean it's not working?"

"I mean, I'm flipping the switch and nothing's happening. Gravity on, nothing. Gravity off, nothing."

~Well that's not good. How are we supposed to get down now?~

~Maybe we ca- Ah!~ Chip yelped as the gravity suddenly returned.

"How can you guys be taking a nap while this castle is trying to kill us?" Lance snapped as he, Keith, Coran, Blue, and Merla walked through the doors that had just opened.

"Taking a nap? We've been floating around in zero G! You know how scary that is?"

"That's not scary! That's fun! I was almost ejected into space!"

"Well I got attacked by killer food…"

Pua nodded as his paladin continued on. ~We're still covered in the stuff!~

~Why didn't you just phase it off?~

~Yeah, okay, see, Merla, the problem with that is that it's an excellent idea that I wished I'd thought of a half hour ago,~ Chip growled before the two phased the food off.

"Well, I had a robot trying to kill me! And them two got attacked by some villain from their past!"

~Villain?~ Pua asked.

~Maece. Don't worry, we're _pretty sure_ she was just the castle,~ Merla huffed.

~Yikes.~

~I wouldn't even call it an attack. She just showed up, said some ominous stuff then disappeared,~ Blue snorted.

"Sendak? Wait. Has anyone seen Shiro?"

The cats all shared a look.

~Oh man, if Maece _is_ running around,~ Pua whined.

~We need to find Ryou.~

The entire group rushed off towards the detainment room. When they reached it, Shiro was sitting against a memory tube with his arms wrapped around Ryou's neck, shaking.

"Shiro, are you okay?" Pidge asked as they ran up.

"Where's Sendak?" Keith asked, looking around.

"I-I had to get him out of here. I w-was hearing his voice. He-he can't be trusted on this ship," Shiro stuttered, looking up.

Ryou whined and pressed closer to his chest.

"It is the ship! I got stuck in a cryo-pod, then in an airlock. Keith got attacked by a robot, Blue and Merla saw some chick named Mah-eh-see, and Hunk and Pidge and their cats got attacked by food. It's been a weird morning."

~Maece?~ Ryou asked, just barely holding back a growl for Shiro's sake.

~She wasn't real, we don't think. Something's wrong with the castle,~ Blue explained.

~Very,~ he huffed, turning back to his paladin.

A beeping started up and the group looked over to see a warning up above the door.

"What? How is that possible?"

"What is it?" Keith questioned, turning to Coran.

"The ship is starting a wormhole jump!"

The castle shook as they entered the wormhole and Shiro got to his feet. "We need to get to the bridge."

Suddenly the screen went to static and laughter echoed through the room. The screen switched to a view of each of the lions' hangers. Fuchsia, amorphous creatures were inside, trashing the hangers while the figure from before watched on from the Black Lion's hanger.

Maece laughed again before turning to the camera. **_"Have you enjoyed my fun so far?"_**

~Maece!~ Ryou roared.

 ** _"Hello, my love! I've missed you so much! Won't you come play with me?"_** The screen shut off.

"My love?" Hunk asked.

"I've seen those monsters before," Coran said, looking ill.

"We don't have time for this. Keith, Hunk, Lance, you three head down to the hangers. Pidge, you come with Coran and I to the bridge."

"Right."

Ryou nudged Shiro's hand and he looked down. Their eyes met and he nodded. "Go with them."

Ryou nodded and the group split up.

* * *

Lance slowly snuck up to the door of Blue's hanger. He held up his bayard and took a deep breath. He slammed his hand on the door's control and darted inside. "Take this you… monsters?" Lance's war cry trailed off and he lowered his bayard. "Uh, hey guys, Blue's hanger is empty. No sign of monsters or star cats."

 _"_ _Same for Pua's. It doesn't look like anyone's been here either,"_ Hunk agreed.

A growl sounded behind him and Lance jumped with a shriek. He spun around, only to find a grumpy Ryou at the other end of his blaster.

"Geese Ryou! Don't scare me like that!"

 _"_ _What was that scream?"_

 _"_ _I think that was Lance. You okay bro?"_

"I'm fine. It was just Ryou and Pua," Lance sighed. "I'm guessing you guys came up empty too?"

Ryou growled and clawed at the ground.

"Yeah, thought so."

 _"_ _Merla and Blue just got here. The red and green hangers are empty too,"_ Keith announced.

 _"_ _What gives? How'd they all just disappear?"_ Hunk groaned.

"Because they were never here! The castle's messing with us again! It split us up!" Lance shouted.

 _"_ _Quiznak!"_

 _"_ _We need to get back to the others!"_

Lance nodded and he, Pua, and Ryou started to race out of the hangers.

 _"_ _Team!"_

 _"_ _Shiro? We're here. There's no one down here,"_ Keith called.

"It was a trap!" Lance added.

 _"_ _That makes sense. Allura's piloted us towards a star that's about to blow."_

 _"_ _WHAT!?"_

 _"_ _No time to explain. Get to the lions. We're going to try and slow down the ship while Allura fixes the problem with the castle."_

 _"_ _Alright, Shiro. Lance, sending Blue your way."_

"And I'm sending Pua and Ryou." Lance turned to the cats and nodded. "Shiro and Hunk need you."

The two growled and disappeared.

* * *

"You know, speaking of Voltron," Pidge spoke up as the group headed out of the bridge. "What was with the evil-cat-star-thing? Where'd she come from?"

"Blue said the castle is connected to the lion's memories," Lance said.

"Wait, they're not gonna go crazy like the castle, right?" Hunk whimpered.

Pua chuffed and nuzzled his side. ~Don't worry. Our quintessence is stronger than any computer virus.~

"Well that sounded comforting. Good. Back to what I was saying though, who was she? Coran, you said you'd seen her monsters before."

"Yes, and I had hoped to never see them again," Coran sighed, adjusting his grip on the princess. "I don't have a clue about the lions' little friend though."

~She is no friend of ours!~ Merla hissed at the man, causing him to jump.

"I don't think _friend_ is the right word," Keith explained.

~Maece was the monsters' creator and commander,~ Blue growled and Lance repeated it for the others.

~Alright, I think that's enough reminiscing,~ Merla spat. ~She's gone now and she won't ever be coming back, so it doesn't matter.~

Blue huffed an agreement and nuzzled the cheetah as they left down a side hall.

Keith told them what she'd said and Pidge frowned. "What, but I still have more que-"

"Pidge," Shiro said, setting his hand on her shoulder. "Leave it alone, okay. We don't need to be stirring up bad memories. And I don't think this… Macy is something any of them want to think about."

The girl glanced over at Chip, whose ears were pinned to her head, and nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"Good, now come on. I think we could all use a break after all this excitement."

Chip watched the paladins for a moment before slipping over to nip at Ryou's tail. When the liger turned to her, she slowed down so she fell to the back of the group.

Ryou quickly followed. ~Chip, what is it?~

~Maece. She is gone, right?~

Ryou sighed and pressed close to her. ~Yes, we locked her away. She's gone forever.~

~That's what we thought the first time.~

Ryou flinched and ducked his head. ~That was different. The chances of that happening again… It's not possible.~

~I hope you're right.~

 _Me too._

* * *

 **End Part 4**


	23. Interlude: Sneaking In and Out

**For Day 1 of Platonic VLD Month 2017: Garrison Days**

* * *

"Do you think I should give Blue the turkey one right away like a surprise or should I save it for later to use as a treat or bribe?"

"Lance, sh!"

"Oh come on, no one is going to catch-"

Lance cut off as the door in front of them opened. He and Hunk watched a figure step out before quietly shutting the door.

Shiro froze as he turned and found himself faced with two students carrying bags filled with cans of catfood.

"Woah, you-you're…" Lance trailed off, looking up at Shiro in wonder.

Shiro tucked the bottles he was holding behind his back. "Oh, uh, hi cadets. I-" Shiro glanced towards the room he just exited as a muffled voice came from inside. "I was never here," he said before running off.

Bemused, the two turned to look at each other.

* * *

Hunk rolled his eyes as Lance blathered on about Shiro.

"… and he just let us go! Man, he's so cool."

"What do you think he was doing in the student dorms after lights out?"

"Who cares? Pilot stuff? Maybe he's a mentor. Oh, who do you think I'd have to talk to to get him as my mentor?"

"I don't think it works that… way…"

Lance looked up to see Hunk staring at something. "What? What is- Oh." Lance followed Hunk's gaze to see that he, like most of the cafeteria, was staring at Lance's rival, Keith Kogane. "Oh my god."

The boy was marching through the room, glaring at the floor. That wasn't unusual, however. What was unusual, though, was the brilliant white color of his hair.

"What happened to him?" Hunk asked.

"I don't know, but I love it," Lance snickered.

The boy passed them and they caught a few of the words he was muttering under his breath. "... bet it was Matt. I'm going to kill…"

"Matt?" Hunk whispered and Lance shrugged. "Well whoever he is, he might wanna watch his back. Keith looks like he's seriously going to murder someone."

"Of course he does. You don't go messing with a guy's hair, Hunk. Especially if you're already boasting a hideous mullet."

Hunk's eyes widened. "Hey Lance, weren't we near Keith's room when we bumped into you-know-who?"

"Now that you mention it… Wait, no, Hunk! You can't- Shiro would never stoop to such levels!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Why would a guy like him even want to prank some student in the first place.

"Hey, speaking of pranks, did you hear about what Lana did to Jason?"


	24. Interlude: Kitten Days

**For Day 2 of Platonic VLD Month 2017: Home**

* * *

 _In the wilds of Organia, a vicious predatory organic stalks its unwitting pr-_

"Vezka, leave your sister alone."

The red quodynce froze. She slowly turned to her mother and said, "I wasn't doing anything, Ma."

Her sister smacked the back of her head.

"Ow! Ma, Dansa hit me!"

"I'm trying to study! Get lost, dim."

Vezka tackled her sister.

"Stop fighting, both of you!" their mother huffed as she walked up to the two, ears unfurling.

"Ma, Dansa called me dim!"

"Then stop annoying her while she's working."

"But I'm bored! I wanna play!"

"Vezka!"

The red quodynce jumped off the green, ducking her head. Dansa colored victorious as she rolled to her feet.

"And Dansa, do not call your sister dim."

"Yes, ma. Sorry, ma," she said, coloring unrepentant.

"What am I going to do with you two?" their mother sighed before scooping up the younger of the twins and leaving the older to her studying. "Why do you always have to bother your sister?" she asked once she had set the cub down in the front room.

"I just want to play with her. Why does Dansa have to spend all her time studying?"

"My little fire-"

 _BRRRT-DRR-DRRR!_

Vezka's head shot up and she darted to the window. "What's that!?"

The mother shook her head with amusement while her daughter colored excited at the sight of the royal banners. "Ma, Dansa, it's the royal family!"

"What?" Dansa shrieked, running in. She stumbled and bumped into Vezka, but managed to look through the window in time to see the queen's coach pass by carrying her and her three children.

Queen Syla looked regal, the orange quodynce standing at the front in silver and gold drapings. Next to her stood her eldest son, Prince Sareg, wearing black and violet drapings. Behind them sat Prince Xikel and Highness Salia. He was calmly watching from his seat while they were looking about excitedly. All four were capped by glowing orange halos.

"Ma! Can we go outside?" Dansa asked.

"It's not a parade, little flower. You don't need to be out there gawking and getting in the way."

"But Ma-"

"No, both of you."

The two groaned, coloring disappointed.

Their mother chuckled and shook her head before heading back to her studio.

The two watched the coach until it was out of sight.

"You know, I'm going to meet them one nano-cycle."

"Sure you are," Vezka snorted.

"I am!" Dansa insisted. "I'm going to get so good at my studies that I'll join the Royal Science Guild."

"And you'll be Prince Xikel's soul-bound too!"

"At least I won't be Ly'mo's soul-bound like you!"

"WHY YOU-!"

* * *

"Incredible."

"Right? And according to our-"

"Forgive me for the intrusion, Scies."

Dansa jumped, then quickly thanked the Anodites that Zylin had been helping her hold their experiment and they hadn't lost a cycle's worth of research.

"Don't you know better than to sneak up on those working!" Zylin hissed and Dansa felt him turn his head to glare at whoever had spoken.

She carefully set down the experiment then turned her own head to peer over his shoulder. She spotted the newest apprentice standing near the doorway and colored exasperated. "Be nice, Zylin, they're still learning. What did you need, Hrani?"

"There is someone here to see you, Scy Dansa."

"Me?" she said, nudging her soul-bound so he got off her. She followed the apprentice until she reached the lobby of the Royal Science Guild building. She colored surprised, then happy when she spotted the red quodynce waiting for her. "Vezka!"

Her sister laughed as Dansa jumped at her, nuzzling up against her. "Hey, Dansa!"

"What are you doing here? I thought you were still on Cavil."

"Finished up earlier than I thought so I figured I'd visit for a while. Gotta keep track of the old lady."

Dansa stepped back and smacked Vezka with her tail. "I'm not even a milli-cycle older than you!"

Vezka just laughed so she smacked her again.

"Dansa?"

The two turned to see Zylin watching them. "Oh, Zylin! Vezka, this is my soul-bound, Zylin. Zylin, this is my sister, Vezka."

"Your soul-bound? You mean I actually get to meet one?" Vezka teased.

"Oh hush you! It's not like you've introduced me to any of yours."

"Who says I've had any to introduce you to?"

Zylin colored confused, but pleased. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"So how long will you be here?" Dansa asked.

"Not sure. There's a job I'm looking into but until then, I thought I'd take a little vacation."

"Great!"

"What do you do?" Zylin questioned.

"I work in private security."

"She's always traveling for her work. I haven't seen her in deci-cycles."

"Well our work is finished. I can finish up collecting the notes to be sent in if you wanna head off."

"Really? You don't have to-"

"Nonsense."

"Thanks, Zylin. Are you leaving afterwards?"

"Yes, I'll need to be headed back to Quyt as soon as possible."

"It was great working with you. I'll be sure to come see you off."

"You too, and thank you. I'll see you then." Zylin bowed his head before heading back towards their lab.

"That's it then?" Vezka chuckled. "I finally get to meet one and you just end it in front of me femto-cycles later."

Dansa colored playful annoyance. "Yeah, yeah, and what about you? Isn't there anyone that's caught your eye?"

 _"Dansa!"_ Vezka huffed, turning to leave.

* * *

"Now presenting our new Head of Science, Grand Scy Dansa!"

Dansa held her head high as she was presented with the honorary draping and the crowd applauded.

Once the ceremony was over, Dansa came down to the crowd as the rest of the guild came forwards to congratulate her. She stumbled as something slammed into her back.

"I'm so proud of you!" Vezka laughed.

Dansa laughed as well and turned to face her sister. She was draped in bright and dark reds and oranges with a green draping around her tail in honor of Dansa. "I'm glad you could be here for this. You didn't plan this, did you?"

"I wish! I would have had time to think of a gift." Vezka pressed their cheeks together. "Ma would be so proud."

"Grand Scy Dansa?"

The two jumped apart, coloring surprised as they turned to face the youngest of the royal family.

"P-Prince Salia! It's an honor!" Dansa said, bowing. Vezka quickly followed her lead.

"None of that," the prince chuckled, waving his ear. "This time is to honor you, Dansa. Congratulations."

"T-thank you."

The prince nodded, then turned to Vezka. "And who is this?"

"Oh, this is my sister, Vezka."

"Your sister? How wonderful! Is she a scientist as well?"

"No, sire, I prefer getting up and actually doing something to sitting around staring at things."

 _"Vezka!"_ Dansa hissed, coloring embarrassed.

The prince just laughed, though. "I suppose there are good points to both. I should be going though. Congratulations again!"

"Thank you, Prince Salia."

The sisters watched him walk away to return to the rest of his family.

"By the Anodites. Did that truly just happen?"

"We just met Prince Salia."

"We just met Prince Salia!" Dansa turned to her sister, coloring amused. "I was right."

"Right?" the red quodynce said, not looking away from the prince.

"I told you I'd join the Royal Science Guild and meet the royals."

Vezka finally snapped out of it and snorted as she turned to her sister. "We were cubs when you said that!"

"And I was right!"

"You only met Prince Salia, not the rest. Besides, you still need to have Prince Xikel as a soul-bound."

"Wh- _You_ were the one that said that!"

"No, I'm pretty sure that was you."

"You little-"

Vezka cut her off with a laugh and nuzzled up against her side, curling their ears together.


	25. Interlude: How Precious

**For Day 3 of Platonic VLD Month 2017: Baby Pictures/Memories**

* * *

"I still don't understand why they wouldn't want her just because she lied about her gender. She proved herself in training and battle, didn't she?"

"Yeah, but it was illegal for women to fight."

"Which is ridiculous."

"Well, yeah, obviously. I mean, just look at you," Lance said, gesturing to Allura, who was carrying a sleeping tiger in her arms. "You two could both tear me to pieces in your sleep. But that's just how it was back then. Thankfully we've grown. I mean, not by much, but still. We're getting there.

"Anyways, it was against the law. The only reason she wasn't killed for her crime was because she gave him his bi awakening."

"I suppose that makes sense. But-"

"Aw! That's so cute!"

The two turned at the exclamation to see Pidge, Hunk, and Coran sitting together in the common room and looking at something hidden between them.

"What are you three up to?" Allura asked.

"NOTHING!" Pidge and Hunk shouted.

Blue snorted and nuzzled Allura's shoulder before drifting off again.

The two shared a look then walked into the common room. As they got closer they could see Pua curled up in Hunk's lap and Chip standing with her forelegs up on Rover, who was projecting an image of…

Blue yet out a yowl as she was dropped on the ground.

"Blue!" Lance yelped, kneeling down. "You okay?"

~Wha's going on!? Wha' happened?~

"Coran! What is that?" Allura shrieked, blushing.

"Oh, well, um, these two here were helping me clean up and repair the archives, and we came across some data files your father kept that were mostly uncorrupted so we thought we'd look them over in case they contained important information, but you see…"

"Apparently embarrassing baby pictures aren't an Earth only thing," Pidge noted. She reached over and switched the picture from a picture of a toddler Allura covered in purple goop with a bowl on her head to a slightly younger Allura wearing a flower costume.

"Oh my gosh, that is adorable!" Lance whispered.

"Coran how could you!?"

~That is cute,~ Blue yawned, sitting up. ~Though not as cute you looked when you did that play in middle school.~

Lance blushed. "Okay, I'm officially glad you guys can't hear Blue."

~We've all got receipts!~ Chip purred.

"Why what'd she say?" Pidge asked with a cheshire grin.

"Nothing you will ever hear."

~Oh come on, Lance! I don't know why you're so embarrassed. You looked adorable and I'm sure the others will agree.~

"Well we'll never know because they can't hear you."

Blue's ear twitched then she turned to Lance. ~Maybe, but Merla can hear me and Keith can hear her.~

Lance froze. "You wouldn't."

~Merla!~ Blue roared, running out of the room.

"Blue, you traitor, don't you dare!" Lance shouted, taking chase. "You stay away from Keith and his demon cat!"

"Well that was interesting," Pidge hummed, turning back to Rover and switching the picture to an infant Allura wearing a weird helmet.

Allura glared at the picture and crossed her arms. "Coran, destroy those pictures immediately."

"Aw come on, Allura, you look so cute!" Hunk cooed as Pidge switched the picture to a crying young Allura in a flower crown and puffy dress.

"Coran!"

"What's with all the yelling?" Shiro asked. "I just passed Lance chasing Blue."

"Nothing!" Allura said, grabbing Rover and running out of the room.

"ROVER!" Pidge shouted, scooping up Chip and chasing after the princess.

"Uh…"

"We found some of Allura's old baby pictures," Hunk said.

"That explains it," Shiro chuckled. "You should have seen Keith's face when Matt uncovered one of his old photo albums. Matt barely got the chance to see Keith in his BMO costume before Keith yanked it away and set it on fire."

"He… burned the album," Coran asked, glancing towards where Allura and Pidge disappeared.

"Tried to. I saved it."

"Perhaps I should go check on Allura."

"Good idea."

They watched him go before Hunk turned to Shiro. "So, BMO costume?"


	26. Interlude: Once Upon A Time

**For Day 5 of Platonic VLD Month 2017: History**

* * *

"Goodnight, Angel."

"Goodnight, Daddy!"

Keith closed his eyes and waited. _One… two… three…_

Once he reached ten, the eight year old threw his blanket off and peaked under the bed. "Merla?"

There was a sound behind him and he turned just in time to see Miz being tossed onto the bed next to him. Merla quickly followed, staring down at her cub. ~You should be sleeping.~

Keith smiled and hugged the hippo. "I'm not tired. I want to play."

~No, you need rest. And you are tired, I can tell.~

"Am not."

~Nice try, but we're not playing that tonight.~ The two glared at each other before Merla stepped forward to nuzzle his forehead. ~Come on, lay down and I'll tell you a story.~

"I don't need a bedtime story. I'm not a baby."

~Trust me, you were far less stubborn at bedtime when you were,~ Merla snorted. ~How about this, if you can stay up through my story, then we can play.~

Keith narrowed his eyes at her. "What's the catch?"

~No catch.~

"And it will be a good one, not like the boring stuff we have to read at school?"

Merla's tail twitched as she thought, then she nodded. ~I've got a good one.~

He bit his lip before nodding. "Okay, deal."

~Then lay down.~

Pouting, he laid down with a huff and pulled the blanket back over himself and Miz.

Merla climbed up onto his pillow to curl around his head. ~That's better. Now, long, long ago, very far from here-~

"Miz says this sounds boring."

~Well Mizuiro needs to hush up and listen or else he's sleeping in the toy box.~

Keith gasped and clutched the hippo closer to his chest.

~As I was saying, there once was a wild land, filled with all sorts of creatures. This land was watched over by different kingdoms of fairies, one of which was ruled by a mighty fairy king. The fairy king was strict, but kind. He cared for his subjects and protected the creatures of his lands alongside his younger siblings.

~One day a queen from a neighboring kingdom approached the fairy king, wanting to marry him, but he turned her away.~

"Is this going to be a love story?"

~Yes. No. Just hush and listen.~

"But-"

~Do you want to go to bed?~

"No."

~Then hush.

~So the queen was mad about being turned down so she hired an assassin to kill the fairy king.~

"Seriously?"

~Cub!~

"Sorry."

~Yes, she hired an assassin. She was a kwaila. Anyways-~

"What's a kwaila?"

~ANYWAYS! The assassin arrived at the fairy king's castle, but she was suspicious of the queen's motive so while she prepared to kill the fairy king, she also looked into the queen. It was then that she discovered the queen's true plot. The queen intended to kill the assassin, _rescuing_ the fairy king from his supposed killer in an effort to earn his favor. More than that though, she discovered that the queen was actually a witch who had been experimenting with dark spells, casting them on the creatures of her kingdom and turning them into monsters. The real reason the queen had wanted to marry the fairy king was so that she could gain access to the creatures of his land to continue her experiments.

~So the assassin set out to get revenge on the queen. Unfortunately, the queen discovered her plot to reveal the truth about the queen and outed the assassin for what she was. The fairy king, not knowing the truth, sentenced the assassin to death for her crimes.~

"Oh no!" Keith muttered, tugging the blanket up.

~Oh yes. Thankfully though, the fairy king's youngest sibling, the fairy highness, was a caring and open soul. They saw good within the assassin and did not believe she was the cold-hearted killer she was said to be. They spoke on the assassin's behalf and persuaded their brother into giving the assassin a trial, wanting to give her the chance to explain herself.

~When the queen heard of the fairy highness's plan, she was furious. If the assassin was given a chance to speak, she would tell the court of the queen's plans. She knew most would think the assassin's words were nothing but the lies of the condemned, but if even one person - especially the fairy highness - believed, then the queen's plans could be thwarted.

~The queen decided she would have to silence the assassin forever.

~What the queen didn't know, however, was that the fairy highness and the assassin had developed a friendship during her time planning to kill the fairy king. Because of this, the fairy highness had snuck down to see the assassin as soon as their brother had agreed to the trial, hoping to discover for themself why their friend had been plotting against their brother. When she told them the truth, the fairy highness grew worried for their friend. They knew that the queen would not allow them to live long enough to speak to the fairy king. Thinking quickly, they tricked their brother, the fairy prince, into guarding the assassin's cell in secret.

~He was shocked when the queen came to kill the assassin, but reacted quickly, fighting off the queen before she could do too much harm. The queen escaped, but the damage was done. When the fairy prince gave witness to the queen's actions, the fairy king banned her from his kingdom forever, on penalty of death.~

"Wha' happened t' the 'sassin?" Keith asked with a yawn.

~She'd done many bad things in her life, but because of the fairy highness's kindness, she was given a new chance at life. The fairy king allowed her to live as long as, in return, she dedicated her life to protecting the fairy highness and the kingdom.~

"S' they lived happily ever after," Keith muttered, his eyes closing.

Merla chuckled. ~Not quite. After all, the queen was still out there, causing trouble. And she would return. But for a time, yes, they were very happy.~

"Wha' the queen do when she came back?"

~Another time, cub. For now, the story's over.~ Merla nuzzled his cheek. ~Goodnight, cub. Love you.~

"Love you too." Keith turned over and snuggled into his toy. "Ni', mama."


	27. Interlude: Zion, Lovak, and Sentinon

**For Day 7 of Platonic VLD Month 2017: Video Games/Arcade**

* * *

"So… how much longer until we get to the Blade of Marmora's base?" Lance groaned.

"Two quintants," Pidge sighed. "Coran wants to do a few repairs on the teludav before we use it again since he's already having to replace the lenses."

Lance groaned again and turned so he was hanging upside down off the couch. "What are we supposed to do until then?"

"You could try training?" Keith offered, sitting down with his post-training snack.

"I train plenty, thank you! We don't all feel the need to spend every day locked up in the training room."

Keith shrugged and started eating.

"Okay, so any real suggestions?"

Keith glared at him, but stayed quiet.

"Have you fed Kaltenecker?" Shiro asked, not looking up from where he was brushing Ryou.

"Yep, and gave him a bath."

"Again, she has utters."

"Stop misgendering our cow, Keith! This is why he doesn't like you."

"I'm literally the one that showed you how to bathe her and Hunk how to milk her. She likes me fine. And how do you even know what gender she prefers?"

"I can just feel it, like how I do Blue."

~Don't drag me into this,~ Blue huffed from where he and Pua were off to the side, grooming each other.

"Blue is an ancient sapient creature you have a telepathic connection with. Kaltenecker is just an ordinary Earth cow."

"Are they having the cow fight again?" Hunk asked, walking in.

"Yes," Shiro sighed. "Lance, stop picking fights with Keith. Keith, just stop misgendering the cow."

"I'm not!" they both shouted.

"Anyways," Hunk butted in. Lance huffed and crossed his arms and Keith turned back to his food. "Lance, Pidge, are you guys busy? I've got a surprise for you!"

"Surprise?" Lance said, sitting up. "What kind of surprise?"

"Close your eyes and I'll bring it in."

Lance immediately covered his eyes. Pidge followed after giving him an unimpressed look.

Keith swallowed a bite of food and asked, "Do we have to cover our eyes?"

"No, you guys are fine."

Keith nodded and continued eating.

Hunk stepped outside, then peaked back in. "Blue, no spoilers."

Blue laid his head down and set his paw on his snout.

"Good boy."

Hunk disappeared out the door. A moment later he returned carrying Pidge's Mercury Gameflux Two along with a trio of devices that had been connected to the system. He set it down in front of the two and turned it on. Pidge tilted her head at the sounds, but kept her eyes covered. A hologram came up from one of the devices, showing the main menu of the game.

"Alright, guys, open your eyes."

The boys all flinched at Pidge's shriek.

"Wow," Keith whispered.

"Oh my gosh, Hunk!" Pidge jumped off the couch and knelt in front of the game system. "You got it to work! How?"

"Coran and I put together a power source and an adapter so we could connect it to the altean tech," Hunk said, pulling the controllers out of his pockets. "It's just a prototype though. There's still a few bugs and it's a little fragile so be careful with it. We're hoping to have something more sturdy soon though, and maybe even to make it more portable."

Pidge grabbed Hunk's face and pulled it down so they were eye to eye. "I love you."

Lance draped himself over Hunk's back. "Hunk, have I told you lately that you're a god amongst men. Because you are. Now let's test this bad boy out!" Lance grabbed a control and flopped onto the couch. "Player one!"

"What? No! I'm player one!" Pidge shouted, snatching her own remote. "Thanks Hunk!"

"Yeah, thanks Hunk!"

Hunk, Shiro, and Keith watched the two bicker and shove one another as they started playing.

"So… this was probably a bad idea wasn't it?" Hunk hummed.

"Oh yeah, big time." Keith stood up to go rinse his bowl.

"PIDGE! I wanted to be Princess Zion!"

"Heck no! She's the only female in the game! Go play any of the dozen male characters!"

"But she's the best long range character!"

"Guys, no fighting or Hunk will take it back."

"Shiro, Shiro, Shiro, we both know Hunk wouldn't do that to us," Lance said, not looking away from the screen.

"He's got a point," Hunk said, shrugging.

"Then I'll give it to the mice to hide."

The two froze and slowly turned to the oldest paladin.

"You wouldn't," Pidge whispered.

Shiro returned to his brushing. "No fighting."

"But fighting is half the fun!"

"Matt and I used to yell at each other all the time while playing!"

"I once shoved my sister off the couch and sat on her to win Mario Kart!"

"Didn't you ever mess with your siblings when you guys played video games?"

Shiro shrugged. "Akira didn't really like video games."

"Shiro once threw his 3DS because he couldn't beat a boss in Zelda," Keith said as he returned. "And when I teased him about it, he released my shiny Flareon."

"Good to know Shiro can rage-quit with the best of them," Lance snickered as Shiro glared at his nephew.

"Flareon sucks anyways," Pidge snorted.

Keith sent her a death glare and grabbed his bayard off the couch. "I'm going to go train."

"You do that. Meanwhile, we'll be here, having fun."

"Training _is_ fun."

Lance snorted. "Whatever you say, Mullet. So Shiro, Hunk, you guys want to play?"

"I'm Sentinon!" Hunk shouted, shoving in between the two.

Shiro shook his head and set Ryou on the floor before standing up. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass. Make sure you guys thank Coran."

"We will," Lance said, waving and turning back to the game as the black paladin left the room. "Fine, if I can't be Princess Zion, then I'm definitely Lovak."

"Of course you are," Pidge snorted.

"You got a problem with Lovak?"

"Lance, buddy, Lovak is the worst character in the game," Hunk chuckled.

"What? He's the second best long range character! Plus he's smoking hot!"

"He's also a quiznak boy," Pidge muttered.

Lance gasped. "Who is teaching the child such foul language? Also, he is not."

"I'm not that much younger than you! And yes, he is!"

"Hunk!"

"Sorry, but she's right."

"BETRAYAL!"


	28. Interlude: Red Bet, Blue Bet 1

**For Day 9 of Platonic VLD Month 2017: Lion Swap**

* * *

The training room was quiet when Blue entered, Keith sitting off to the side with a pouch of water.

He looked up and smiled at her. "Hey, Merla. I was just taking a break. You want to join in?"

The red cheetah shook her head before walking over to sit next to him.

Keith raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so quiet? Is something wrong?"

Blue shook her head again and yawned before curling up to sleep.

"Alright then. You rest up."

* * *

"Hey there Blue, little help?" Lance chuckled, holding up his hands.

Merla snorted seeing the ribbon tangled around his wrists, but walked over to help him free.

He sighed as the blue tiger tugged at the fabric. "Thanks. I was working on Chip's dress and just… I hate Altean ribbon. This stuff has a mind of it's own, I swear!"

Merla snorted again and stepped back as Lance set the ribbon down with a dirty look.

"So, what have you been up to?"

 _Okay, Merla. What would Blue do?_ Before she could question herself, Merla tackled Lance and started grooming his hair.

"Ugh! Blue! Why are you always like this?" Lance groaned.

 _Nailed it,_ she thought with a chuff as she licked behind his ear.

* * *

~So, have either of them figured it out yet?~ Chip asked.

~Nope,~ Merla snorted.

~It's been a week. You'd think they would have realized _something_ by now,~ Pua said.

~I know. I'm starting to think we should just call the whole thing off. I miss Lance,~ Blue sighed.

~Giving in already,~ Merla purred and draped herself over Blue, who groaned.

~You are too big to do that right now,~ the cheetah whined. ~And I'm not giving in. I still say Lance will figure it out first. I just miss cuddles.~

~Have you not been giving Keith cuddles?~ Merla growled.

~Of course not, I'm pretending to be you.~

~I cuddle my cub all the time! We just don't feel the need to do it out in the open! By the Anodites, how has he not realized you're not me?~

~And what about you? I've seen you hiding every time Lance comes around with the brush!~

~My fur is perfect the way it is and I'd rather not have your paladin yanking at it, thank you! Keith doesn't even brush my fur.~

~It's not about the fur, it's about spending quality time together.~

~Keith and I spend plenty of quality time together without the need for scratchy combs, fur-pulling, and excessive touching.~

~So does this mean the bet's off?~ Chip asked. ~Was there a counter measure if one of you gives in or do you both just loose since neither of your paladins realized you switched?~

~There's no countermeasure, and we don't need one. Keith will figure it out.~

~Not before Lance does!~

~There you four are.~ The cats all turned to see Ryou in the doorway. ~It's time for training. Get to your paladins.~

~Going,~ Pua said.

The liger nodded and turned to leave before pausing. He sent a glare at the cheetah and tiger. ~Merla, Blue, why do you look like each other?~

~No reason,~ they both shouted before running past him.


	29. Interlude: Red Bet, Blue Bet 2

**For Day 10 of Platonic VLD Month 2017: Rivalry**

* * *

"End training sequence," Keith said as he wiped his brow. He walked over to the side of the room where he'd left his jacket and grabbed his water. He slouched down against the wall with a sigh.

The door to the training room opened and Keith turned to smile at the cheetah that walked in. "Hey, Merla. I was just taking a break. You want to join in?"

Her watched her shake her head before she came over to sit a short ways from him. He raised an eyebrow as he fought down a smirk. "Why are you so quiet? Is something wrong?" He rolled his eyes as she shook her head and went to sleep. "Alright then. You rest up."

* * *

"Why is it that everything the Alteans designed is dangerous; killer training programs, killer language programs, killer ribbon that tries to strangle you when you go to pin it down," Lance growled, yanking at the fabric that had wrapped around his wrists like a boa constrictor. He froze when he spotted the tiger watching him. He blushed and held up his hands. "Hey there Blue, little help?"

She snorted and came over to tug on the silver ribbon.

"Thanks," he sighed. "I was working on Chip's dress and just… I hate Altean ribbon. This stuff has a mind of it's own, I swear!"

He ignored her snort and threw the ribbon onto his work table with a glare.

"So, what have you been up to?" He turned around to grab some extra pins. He nearly stabbed himself when she jumped onto his back, pinning him to the ground as she started grooming his hair.

 _I blame, Keith. Blue is never this rough,_ Lance thought as he groaned, "Ugh! Blue! Why are you always like this?"

Merla chuffed and Lance surrendered himself to being squashed under the tiger for the time being.

* * *

"So they still think they've got you fooled?" Hunk asked.

"Yep," Lance snickered.

"How long are you guys going to let this last? It's been a week," Pidge pointed out.

"Either until one of them figures it out or they crack and give up," Keith said with a shrug.

"You mean until Blue figures it out."

Keith shot Lance a glare.

"Wait, so who wins if they give up?" Hunk asked.

"Lance bet on Blue either figuring it out or giving up while Keith bet on Merla for the same," Pidge answered.

"You bet against your own lions?" Allura asked, sitting up.

Lance shrugged. "I love Blue, and I trust her to see through Keith's pathetic attempts at lying, but I also know Merla's stubbornness is rivaled only by his. Plus, Blue must be missing all this by now."

"And as smart as I know Merla is, I'm pretty sure _all that_ must be getting on her nerves."

Lance shot Keith a glare.

"You know, they seem to be doing a pretty good job of pretending. If you guys hadn't told us about that conversation you overheard, I never would have guessed they had switched," Hunk said and Pidge and Allura nodded.

"Naw, Merla's way too clingy. It's like she thinks Blue just hangs all over me all the time."

"Doesn't she?" Keith snorted.

"Plus, I don't think Merla's used to her size. She keeps crushing me. And I can never find her for our daily brushing session."

"Merla hates being brushed. She doesn't like the sensation of the comb or brush on her skin."

"Fair enough. What about Blue? Isn't he the best actor?"

"You mean besides the fact he never talks while Merla always wants to butt in?"

"Obviously."

"Naw, he's too closed off."

"And that's coming from Keith," Pidge chuckled.

"About Merla," Hunk agreed.

He shrugged. "Merla likes her space and so do I. We understand that about each other. That doesn't mean she just lays there next to me without ever touching like Blue does. I don't think Blue's even slept in my bed."

"You've had my baby sleeping on the floor!"

"Besides, he has no idea what to do with his legs when we're fighting together. He's always tripping over them and his tail."

"Those two probably should have gotten used to each other's forms before trying this," Allura chuckled.

"There you guys are." The group turned to see Ryou and Shiro walking through the door. "What are you doing in here?"

"Keeping Allura company. Coran made her come lay down since she sneezed," Hunk explained.

"Well, it's time for training. Where's the cats?"

"No clue."

Shiro turned to Ryou. "You wanna go get them?"

The liger gave a soft growl before walking out.

"Alright, the rest of you go get changed."


	30. Interlude: Back to Sleep

**For Day 13 of Platonic VLD Month 2017: Nightmares**

* * *

 _Running. Running. Running._

 _"There he is!"_

 _Fight! Fight!_

 _"The Champion!"_

 _Blood._

 _"And the winner is-"_

~Shiro?~

Shiro jerked up into a sitting position with a shout. Breathing heavily, he looked around the room he was in. The lights came on slowly and Shiro sighed as he saw blues and whites and silvers instead of reds and purples and greys.

~Shiro?~

The black paladin looked down at the silver and black cat staring up at him. "Hey Ryou. Sorry, did I wake you?"

~Don't apologize.~ The cat jumped up next to him and purred, but didn't touch him.

Smiling, Shiro closed his eyes and breathed, listening to the purring. Once he'd calmed down enough that the shaking stopped, he opened his eyes and reached out to run his fingers down Ryou's back. "Thanks."

~Always.~ Carefully climbing into Shiro's lap, he pressed up against his chest. ~You should try to get some more sleep.~

"I think I'm going to head to the training room. Do you want to come?"

Ryou hissed and stood up on his hind paws, putting his forepaws on Shiro's shoulders to try and shove him back down.

"Come on, you know I'm not going to be able to get back to sleep."

~Try!~

Shiro reached up to push the cat off and Ryou snapped at him. "Hey!"

~Sleep.~

"Alright, you win." Shiro laid back down. "Happy?"

Ryou purred and curled up on his chest, tucking his head under Shiro's chin. He sang one of the songs he remembered his mother singing to him and his siblings when they were little. It didn't translate at all to English - their own songs made up more of emotions than words - but he figured it didn't matter much since Shiro couldn't understand him anyways.

Shiro chuckled and ran his hand through the purring cat's fur. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound vibrating through the air and his chest and the emotions flickering past him from their bond. Slowly his hand stopped moving and his breathing evened out.

Still purring, Ryou picked his head up to look at his sleeping paladin. ~Rest up.~


	31. Interlude: Shiny Things

**For Day 19 of Platonic VLD Month 2017: Shared Interests**

* * *

"Where could they have gone?"

Lance looked up from where he was brushing Blue to see Allura walking in. "Hey Allura, aren't you supposed to be resting?"

The princess sent him a glare.

"I mean, hey Allura, good to see you up and about. Um, did you need something?"

"Have either of you seen the mice?"

"Yeah, why?" Keith said, still focused on cleaning his knife.

"I was organizing my jewelry on my bed, but when I got back from grabbing a rag out of the washroom, all my calop, vrel, Syonian riom, and pepla shell necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and rings were gone. Even my favorite moon coan circlet."

"You think it was the mice? Seems like a lot of work for the four of them," Keith pointed out.

"I wouldn't put it past them," Lance snorted.

"Agreed. So where'd they go?" Allura asked.

"They didn't go anywhere." Keith reached into his jacket and pulled out a sleeping Platt. He put him back before pushing his collar down slightly to show Chulatt, Plachu, and Chuchule curled up against his neck. "They've been sleeping on me for maybe half an hour now."

Allura frowned. "It couldn't have been them then. My things just went missing."

"If it wasn't them, then who else would steal your sparkly things?" Lance asked.

Blue stiffened and Keith froze. "Uh, Allura, what color were the gems on your jewelry?"

"Blue and red, why?"

Keith sighed and put his knife away. "I know where your stuff is."

Lance and Allura shared a look before following him out of the room, Blue tucked into her paladin's arms. He led them to a door near the storage area of the castle. He put a finger to his lips before opening the door. He led them past some shelves before gesturing towards an alcove. The two peaked inside and Lance brought his hand up to hold back a laugh.

A ton of blankets and pillows were piled into a large nest, which was decorated with Allura's stolen jewelry. The culprit was nuzzling up against a few gems with a purr.

Blue hopped out of Lance's arms and walked over to nip at Merla's tail. ~Busted.~

The cheetah sat up with a hiss. She looked over at the three watching her and rolled over so she was covering most of the jewelry.

"Nice try," Keith said, crossing his arms, "but we already saw your stolen hoard."

~I was just borrowing them. I would have given them back,~ she huffed.

Keith rolled his eyes and turned to Allura. "Sorry about her."

"How'd you know it was her?" Lance chuckled.

"She used to steal Matt and Shiro's stuff all the time. Anything remotely shiny usually ended up with her if it wasn't tucked away right. Shiro was missing a handful of piercings for a month before he happened to mention it to me and I was able to get her to give them back."

"I didn't think Shiro's ears were pierced," Lance muttered.

"They aren't."

Lance's eyes widened while Allura finally turned from the sight. "Why didn't she just ask? I would have leant her a few things to wear."

"Oh, she doesn't wear them, she just likes to, well…" Keith gestured towards where Merla was still lying on the jewelry.

Allura hummed before nodding. "I have an idea. Wait here," she said before running off.

Ten minutes later, Allura was cheerfully collecting her jewelry while the others stared at the nest; Blue with amusement, the paladins with shock, and Merla with awe. Draped across the nest was a blanket made with glittery white fabric, shiny iridescent thread, and glowing blue gemstones.

"Oh my god," Keith mumbled.

"Allura, what is that thing?"

~Heaven,~ Merla purred, jumping into the nest and rolling onto her back.

"It's my old baby blanket. I kept it because I like the way it sparkles, but it doesn't exactly fit me anymore," Allura said, looking over a ring. She tossed the ring back into the nest with a shrug. "Neither does that."

"You know, sometimes I forget you are a literal princess, then you say things like this sapphire encrusted blanket is the thing I slept with as a baby and I remember the truth," Lance said and Keith nodded.

Allura shrugged and tossed a bracelet into the nest before standing up. "Let me know if she'd like more. I think I have a few more rings and anklets that are too small for me now."

~By the Anodites, I love you,~ Merla purred, hopping up to nuzzle Allura's hip.

"I think that's a yes," Lance chuckled.

Allura smiled and scratched her ears. "You're welcome, Red."

Merla turned and dug into her nest, pulling out a bracelet in the shape of a silver flower on a pink vine.

"That's… not mine," Allura said as the cheetah gave it to her.

~Where did you get that from?~

~I took it from a pickpocket at the Fripping Bulgogian.~

~You stole it!~

~Stealing from a thief isn't stealing.~

~Stealing is in the description!~

"It is quite beautiful, wouldn't you say?" Allura said as she slipped it on her wrist.

Keith didn't look up from where his face was in his hand, but Lance nodded as he failed to hold in a laugh at the cats' arguing.


	32. Interlude: Dancing Lions, Painted Nails

**For Day 21 of Platonic VLD Month 2017: Spa Day**

* * *

"So then Tallo and Vay flew out to the pepla fields."

"No!"

"And they didn't even-"

"Uh…" Keith paused as he spotted Allura, Lance, and Blue lazing around in the boys' bathroom.

The human and Altean were perched on fluffy chairs while the tiger was lying on a pillow the size of a queen mattress. Some yellow cream was brushed into the three's hair and fur while a green paste was spread over Allura and Lance's faces. Blue was on her back with her paws in the air, showing off the purple salve on the pads and, when she stretched out to look at Keith, the indigo nail polish on her claws. Allura and Lance both had their feet in bowls of white liquid while one of her hands was in a third bowl and the nails of the other were being painted by Lance.

"Oh, hello Keith," Allura greeted with a nod.

"Hey," Lance said, not looking up from his work.

"Hey… What are you guys doing?"

"We are having a spow day."

"Spa. We're having a spa day."

"Right, spa. Lance had been telling me all about them so we thought we'd try it. It's quite relaxing so far."

"Yeah, we found a ton of beauty products to use and Allura was even telling me about some Altean folk tales."

"Right," Keith said, walking over to grab his shampoo and soap from the shower area. He'd just go shower in Pidge's bathroom.

"Would you like to join us?" Allura asked. "We have plenty to go around."

Keith's nose crinkled up at just the thought of the feeling of the gunk spread across his skin. It'd probably be worse than lotion. He shivered and said, "No thanks."

"Your loss," Lance hummed.

"Are you sure?" Allura said.

Keith went to nod, but paused when he saw the basket with a couple dozen bottles of nail polish. He reached into the basket and pulled out a bottle of polish that was a swirl of burgundy and purple colors. He stuck it in his pocket then left.

"Alright then… Anyways, so Tallo and Vay?"

"Oh yes, so the goddesses flew to the pepla fields, but they forgot to tell Vey's wife!"

"Oh no!"

* * *

 **Keith's aversion to having goop spread across his skin is based on my own experiences. *shivers***


	33. Interlude: He's Gone

**For Day 23 of Platonic VLD Month 2017: Happy Birthday!**

 **Two in one day because I fell behind, but had to make my son's birthday!**

* * *

Shiro glared at the burned cake on the counter. "What did we do wrong?"

~You're asking me? I eat raw meat. I still say we just catch him a rabbit or fish. No, a deer. You know, something special.~

"We followed the instructions," the teen huffed, looking over the back of the box.

~Think there's enough time to make a new one?~

The door to Shiro's barrack unlocked.

~Quiznak!~

Shiro quickly shoved the pan into the trash and leaned on the counter with a forced smile as Keith walked in. "Hey, buddy. How was class?"

Keith gave his own forced smile before his nose twitched and he frowned. "Is something burning?"

"So I was thinking, how about we head into town," Shiro said quickly. "We can get dinner then try to sneak Merla into the observatory."

Keith's eyes widened, then he smirked. "You burned food again didn't you?"

Shiro chuckled and scratched his neck. "Yeah, I was trying to make you a birthday cake."

Keith scowled and flopped onto Shiro's bed. "Oh."

~I told him we should have gotten you a deer,~ Merla purred, hopping up to nuzzle him.

"Hey buddy, what's wrong?" Shiro asked, sitting next to him.

"Nothing."

"Did something happen at school?"

"No."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Shrio tugged the boy into his lap. "Come on, Keith. Talk to me."

~Go on.~

"I'm fi-"

Merla nipped his hand before lying on his lap. ~The truth, cub.~

Keith sighed and rubbed her ears. "I just don't feel like going anywhere today."

~Keith.~

"That's fine. I can go out and grab some takeout for us. Maybe even some cake and a mov-"

"I just don't want to do anything, okay!" Keith huffed. He pushed Merla off him and stood up. "I'm going to my room."

She hissed and ran over to guard the door.

"Keith, come on, it's your birthday. You must want to do something."

Keith glared at the ground. "I want sorbet from Mr. Eld's stand and to watch the horses at Mrs. Begbie's farm."

"Well, we can see about going this we-"

"It won't be the same. We always went _on_ my birthday."

Shiro frowned and set his hand on Keith's shoulder. "Keith, I-"

"I know! I know it's not going to be th-the same because d-dad's gone an-an-" Keith cut off with a growl and buried his face in his hands.

Merla shot forwards to wrap around Keith's ankles while Shiro pulled him into a hug.

"Keith…" Shiro said at the same time Merla whined, ~Cub…~

"I'm going to my room," Keith repeated, shoving Shiro away and untangling himself from Merla before running out too fast for the two to stop him.

* * *

~This is not your room,~ Merla chirped.

He turned to yell at her, but his mouth snapped shut when he spotted Shiro coming through the roof's door behind her.

"Hey squirt."

Keith turned back to his view of the desert. "I want to be alone."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

Shiro sat next to him and Keith scooted away.

"You miss Akira."

"I don't."

"You d-"

"I DON'T! He left me! He didn't want me, so fuck him!"

Shiro raises an eyebrow. "Where'd you learn that one?"

Keith just glared out at the horizon.

"Well, just don't use in front of any teachers."

~Yeah, use the ones I taught you. Same meaning, but with the added benefit of them being confused and not able to punish you.~

Despite himself, Keith snorted.

~There we go!~

Shiro took that as a good sign and wrapped his arm around Keith's shoulders. "Look, Keith, as much as I'd like to think Akira had a good reason for taking off, I'm not going to make excuses for him. Not to myself, and not to you. He left us, you. And that sucks. But you can't let that ruin things for you. Just because Akira's a…"

~Dick?~ Merla offered and Keith repeated.

Shiro's lip twitched into a smile. "Exactly. Just because he's a dick doesn't mean you should give up on things. Especially things as important and special as your birthday. This is your day. Don't let him screw that up."

A few moments passed before Keith finally looked away from the desert to face Shiro. "I miss him," he said, his voice quiet and fragile.

"I know."

"I still don't want to go anywhere."

"That's fine."

"Can we just sit in your room and watch stuff?"

"Sure."

"Hippo videos?"

"All the hippos!"

Keith leaned into Shiro. "Thanks."

"Always."


	34. Interlude: Hippopotamus Amphibius

**For Day 25 of Platonic VLD Month 2017: Broganes**

* * *

"So what do you want to do now?"

Angel shrugged and snagged another handful of popcorn out of the bag Shiro was holding.

"Hey! I said no more! We're going to have dinner soon."

The seven-year-old opened his mouth to argue.

"ANGEL!" Shiro shrieked as the boy suddenly dropped the popcorn and took off running to a nearby fence. He followed after him and grabbed his shoulder. "Don't run off like that!"

"What are they?" Angel whispered.

"What?"

He pointed past the fence and Shiro turned to see a pair of hippopotamuses half out of the water, gaping at one another.

"The hippos?"

"They're beautiful."

Shiro's eyes widened. Out of any animal for his nephew to be taken by, he never would have expected it to be the hippos. The wild cats, sure. Especially the cheetahs, who bore a striking resemblance to Angel's own beloved, red-tinted cat. The wolves and birds of prey would make sense too. Hippos though?

"Really?"

The young boy just nodded, watching the hippos swing their massive jaws a little before the smaller backed off.

The older boy chuckled and looked around before spotting a sign attached to the fence. He grabbed Angel's hand and began dragging him in the direction the sign was pointing.

"Shiro! What are you doing? Stop!"

"Come on, this way!"

"But I wanna watch the hippos!"

"Trust me."

Shiro pulled the whining seven-year-old down a ramp and into a tunnel. Angel immediately went silent as he spotted the large glass wall that took up one side of the tunnel.

On the other side hippos waded through their fake river, occasionally jumping up to the surface to breathe before walking on again. One was even dozing near the glass, which quickly caught Angel's attention.

He shot forwards and pressed up against the glass. "Is he sleeping?"

"Looks like it," Shiro said, catching up at a more sedate pace.

"But won't he drown?" Angel gasped before slapping the glass. "WAKE UP!"

"Angel, don't do that," Shiro hissed, grabbing his hands. "I'm sure he's fine. Hippos can probably breathe underwater."

"Actually, despite some misconceptions, Hippos can't actually breathe underwater."

The two turned to see one of the zoo's workers walking up behind them.

"So he can't breathe down there?"

"She, and no, but don't worry about Darla. Hippopotamuses have adapted to sleeping in the water. Watch."

The boys turned back to the glass and a moment later the hippo hopped up to take a breath before drifting back down to the riverbed.

"See, she never even woke up."

"Wow! That's so cool! What else do you know about hippos?"

"Well, what do you want to know?"

Shiro watched on as his nephew spent the next half hour asking question after question before he finally dragged the boy away.

"Come on, it's time to head home."

"But I want to watch the hippos some more!"

"Next time, squirt. We promised Akira we wouldn't be late for dinner."

Angel pouted, but stayed at his side. He stayed quiet until they reached the gift shop next to the exit. He gasped and tugged on the older boy's arm.

"Shiro! Shiro, look!" he said, pointing at a table with a pile of stuffed hippos the size of his chest. "Can I get one?"

Shiro frowned at the price, but said, "Fine, but that's your birthday present."

"My birthday isn't for two more months!"

"Do you want the hippo?"

The two stared each other down.

"Can I also get a giant lollipop?"

"You can't let Akira know I got it for you and you have to wait until after dinner to eat it."

"Deal."

"Deal."

"Yes!" Angel ran over to the table and started digging through the pile until he found a blue plushy. "This one!"

"Alright. Go grab your candy and meet me at the register."

"'Kay!"

Shiro made his way to the register and Angel appeared at his side a second later carrying a rainbow sucker nearly as big as his head. "You better keep that hidden. I'm taking the hippo back until next year if I get in trouble for buying you that."

"You can try," Angel snorted, setting the candy and toy on the counter in front of the cashier.

She smiled at Shiro as she started ringing them up. "Your brother's adorable."

He shrugged off the usual misconception and just said, "Give it ten minutes."

"Yeah, Shiro's really annoying after that," Angel teased back and Shiro shoved him.


	35. Just Kitten and Get Out

**Cat of a Different Color**

 **Part 5:** **She Never Felt Alone**

With Allura all healed up, the team decide on their next move. It was supposed to be a quick in and out mission. Instead one of their own ends up captured while another ends up at deaths door. Can the team save them both before it's too late?

* * *

"Come on. Hold still for just a few more seconds."

~Why did I agree to do this, again?~

~You said you wanted to spend more time together.~

~More time with you. Not him. And certainly not while playing dress up.~

~You look adorable though!~

"He's right, you do!"

Merla hissed at both Blue and his paladin.

"Yeah, yeah. You're all done, mopey cat. What do you think?"

Merla turned to the mirror and looked herself over.

"Has she always been like this or is it Keith's influence?" she heard Lance whisper.

~If anything, she influenced Keith. Also, you know she can hear you, right? Cat ears.~

Merla snorted and turned to the side, still looking in the mirror.

Well, she supposed it wasn't nearly as constricting as the armor, and the train felt light enough that it wouldn't tangle with her legs or weigh down her tail if she needed to run.

She'd still rather not wear it.

Lance's bedroom door opened and the three looked up to see Keith standing in the doorway.

He blinked at the scene in front of him, bemused. "What are you doing? And what is Merla wearing?"

Lance smiled and reached over to adjust the train of the cheetah's red and white dress. "I'm making the cats fancy clothes. You know, so if we have another party like on Arus."

"Why would they need fancy clothes?"

"So they'll look fancy. Look at them, running around naked like wild animals!"

"They technically are wild animals. Physically, at least."

"That doesn't mean they have to look it. They don't even have collars!"

"Merla bit Shiro the one and only time he tried to put a collar on her. He almost needed stitches. Speaking of which, how did you get that on her in the first place?"

Lance winked at him. "What can I say, I have a way with the ladies."

Keith sent him an unconvinced look. "Blue talked her into it?"

"He may or may not have had a hand in it," Lance shrugged.

"Thought so."

"So what do you think? Merla likes it!" Lance said, holding his arms out.

~I _did not_ say that.~

Keith shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. "I think it's unnecessary and pointless, but by the looks of it you're going to be making the cats entire wardrobes."

"Why not? Blue's practically got his own closet back at home filled with lil cat clothes."

~Seriously?~

~I like looking pretty, thank you very much. And don't act like you don't like to be pampered in your own ways.~

~That is not the point!~

"That's… I don't know what that is," Keith chuckled. "Anyways, play time's over. Allura and Shiro want us all on the bridge.

~Freedom!~ Merla cheered, phasing through the clothes and darting out the door.

The three stared after her before Lance carefully picked up the dress. "I guess that's one way to get it off without messing up the pins."

* * *

"I'm sorry, Princess, did you say _we_?" Keith asked, turning to Allura.

"I'm going with you. I've traveled through the Galra transportation hubs many times with my father before the war began. I know more about them than any of you."

~She's got a point,~ Pua agreed.

~Oh please, she walked around with an escort. She's never had to be sneaky. _Hunk_ has way more experience sneaking through military buildings than her. Plus that was a long time ago. They've probably changed floor plans since then,~ Merla snorted.

"Princess, I'd rather you stay here," Coran said.

~Agreed,~ Ryou huffed.

~By the Anodites, Merla and Ryou agree on something,~ Chip hissed quietly to Blue and he shook with witheld laughter. ~Is it time for the Great Shadowing?~

"I'm a part of this fight against Zarkon as much as anyone. I'm going. Does anyone have a problem with that?"

The paladins all looked away from the princess.

~Me!~ Merla chirped. ~Ryou too. Keith, tell her that!~

Keith glared down at her. _No,_ he mouthed. He liked living, thanks.

Coran turned to Shiro with a worried look.

Shiro shrugged. "Fine. Suit up."

Coran shrieked and the paladins shot Shiro shocked expressions.

~Come on, guys. The princess knows how to fight. She'll be fine,~ Blue growled.

~Love, being able to fight is low on the list of necessary skills for a spy. The best spies don't even have to fight.~

~I'm with Blue, you guys are being too hard on her,~ Pua snorted.

~I have a bad feeling about this,~ Chip sighed.

* * *

"He's still looking. I think he's waiting for a signal or something," Lance whispered.

"I got it." Hunk crawled out from under the console and held up one of the sentinels. He used the wires on it's disconnected arm to make it greet the Galra on the screen, pretend to type at the console, then point at the Galra, then give him a thumbs up.

The Galra held his hand up in acceptance before ending the call.

~I can't believe that worked,~ Chip said as Hunk sighed.

"Nice job, Hunk."

"Thanks," Hunk said, giving Lance a high five with the robot hand.

"Okay, download complete," Pidge announced and everyone crowded around her.

"What's it say?" Keith asked.

"Nothing. This place doesn't have _any_ useful information. Just a schedule of the ships coming in and out."

"Well, I guess this mission was a bust," Lance said.

"Let's get back to the Castle," Shiro commanded.

"Hold on. Pidge, do you know where that ship is headed?" Allura asked, pointing at the one that had just arrived.

"Um, it's scheduled to be here for about a half an hour, then head off to Central Command."

"That's where they have the information we need, and I'm going to sneak aboard that ship and get it for us."

~By the Anodites,~ Merla groaned.

~Called it,~ Chip sighed.

"What? No way!" Lance exclaimed.

"How are you going to get in?" Keith asked, looking skeptical.

Allura pulled off her helmet. "I'm going to walk right through the front." She closed her eyes and her skin faded to a soft violet and her limbs stretched until she was more than a head taller than all the paladins.

~That'll help,~ Ryou noted as the paladins gasped. ~Still a terrible idea.~

"How the heck did you do that?" Hunk asked.

"The Alteans are a chameleon-like people who can blend in with the local populations. It's the ability that's made us great explorers and diplomats throughout our history."

~Actually, chameleons change color mostly in response to mood or to regulate temperature. A better comparison would be certain cephalopods, like cuttlefish.~ The cats turned to Blue, who held up his nose. ~What? Yeah, I know things. You got a problem with that?~

~Once an organic nerd, always an organic nerd,~ Merla purred, cuddling up against him.

~Got that right!~

"No, just one at a time, and I will need a change of costume," Allura replied to Lance, Hunk, and Pidge as the cats refocused. She turned to the Galra Shiro had knocked out. "I can use his uniform as a disguise."

"I can't let you go in there alone."

"Excuse me?" Allura turned to Shiro with a defiant expression.. "I do not need your permission."

~Oh snap!~

~Chip, no.~

"It's too dangerous. I'm going in with you."

"You will stick out like a choferiak's nose."

"You're going to need that nose, princess," Pidge stepped in. "Shiro's hand is made from Galra tech. It's the only thing we have that will allow us to interface with their systems and gather intel. I can monitor the download remotely from here."

~If only we had someone properly sneaky that could work Galra tech!~

Merla bit down on Blue's ear.

"Fine, you can come."

"Uh, you guys better hurry up if you want to get on and off before the ship leaves for Zarkon central," Hunk pointed out.

The two turned to go and Keith asked, "How are you going to get Shiro on board?"

The two shared a look.

"Oh! Laundry cart!" Lance explained, earning confused looks all around. "Like, you know in those break out movies when the prisoners hide in the laundry carts in order to sneak out! Shiro could hide in one of those crates they're loading onto the ship and Allura could push it onboard! Like a laundry cart!"

Keith and Allura still looked a bit confused, but Pidge nodded. "That could work. Might be a tight fit. I'm pretty sure those things aren't filled with cloth."

"It's our best bet though," Shiro sighed. "Alright, Allura, get changed."

The princess got to work pulling the Galra's armor off while Shiro turned to the others.

"You guys stay here and stay hidden. Pidge, try and see if you can get any other information out of here."

"Right."

He turned to Ryou with a smirk. "You wouldn't stay here even if I told you to, would you?"

Ryou snorted and pressed up against his side.

"Didn't think so. Just stay close. We don't know what would happen if the Galra got their hands on one of you.

~Could they even keep us contained?~ Pua asked.

~Doubtful, but we still should be careful,~ Ryou replied.

"I'm ready," Allura said, coming in fully armored.

"Alright, let's go."

~I wanna go on record saying that this is a terrible idea.~

* * *

Merla couldn't say she hated being right. Actually, she loved it. What she did hate, however, was when being right came with a cost.

Things had been going fine. They'd snuck in, quietly taken down the sentinels guarding the room, discovered that the Galra had somehow been able to tap into a new source of quintessence (or at least she hoped it was a new source. If they had once more reached the Lifelight then the team had more problems to worry about then they'd thought), and stolen a vial of refined quintessence off a cart.

And then the weirdo in the hood that _reeked_ of dark magic appeared next to Keith and everything went downhill.

~Keith!~ Merla growled. She pounced at at the druid that blasted Keith, but they teleported away.

They appeared next to the vial of refined quintessence Keith had dropped when he flew back and picked it up.

"Okay, plan B!" Keith shouted, leaping to his feet and drawing his bayard. They both charged the druid, only for them to teleport away again after setting the vial on a new cart.

After nearly getting her head sliced off on accident, Merla fell back, watching Keith chase about the appearing and disappearing druid until they disappeared and didn't come back.

~Where'd they go?~ she hissed, looking around.

"There," Keith called, jumping aside as violet lightning rained down on them.

With the druid's focus on Keith, Merla jetpacked to where the druid was. She latched onto the shocked druid just as they tried to teleport again.

She felt her armor fall away and her physical form disintegrate as her quintessence was pulled along with the druid. She felt her quintessence brush against that of the druid. She felt their pain-surprise-confusion-pain-fear-curiosity-pain-anger-curiosity-pain-fear-anger-pain-curiosity. She felt them return to the physical plane and she returned to her physical form, digging her fangs into their shoulder.

They let out a shout and blasted her off with magic. She flew backwards, slamming into a case of quintessence. She heard Keith call out to her as the glass shattered and the quintessence poured over her.

Then everything went white.

* * *

"I think we're in trouble."

"You think?"

~Now's not the time for fighting,~ Ryou huffed.

Allura looked around the room before taking a few steps back. "Okay, stand aside."

"What? Why? What are you-"

Allura rushed forwards, slamming the door off the track and plowing into the guard standing outside. The boys followed her out as she yanked the gun out of the unconscious Galra's hands. Ryou sent an impressed look to the helmet embedded into the wall before turning to his paladin, who was gaping at the princess.

Ryou snorted as she asked, "What?"

Shiro just looked her up and down.

He finally snapped out of it as a group of sentinels turned a corner and began charging them.

"Let's go!" They took off down the hall and Shiro called into the comm, "Pidge, fire up the Green Lion! We're coming in hot!"

They stopped as a pair of sentinels appeared in front of them. Allura tried to shoot them and Ryou dropped to the floor to avoid the blasts that flew out and hit one of the sentinels behind them. Shiro quickly stepped in to take down the two. As the others approached, Allura grabbed one of the fallen and tossed it, knocking down the others.

"I thought you said you'd traveled around the galaxy," Shiro said, grabbing the gun from her and turning it around. "I mean, you fly a spaceship. How could you possibly not know how to hold this correctly?"

"I'm tense. This is a tense situation," Allura snapped, grabbing the gun in one hand and his arm in the other before dragging him away.

They paused as the realized no one was following them. They turned to see Ryou still collapsed on the floor.

"Black, come on. We need to get moving."

The liger whined, but didn't move.

"Ryou, what's wrong?" Shiro asked, coming to his side.

 _"Secure hatches. All personnel take positions for departure."_

Allura looked up at the announcement before shoving the gun back into Shiro's hands. She scooped Ryou into her arms, saying, "We can't stay here."

"R-right." Shiro took the lead. He made sure Allura was keeping up before calling into the others. "Guys, something's wrong with Ryou."

 _"He's not the only one. All three of ours suddenly just collapsed before disappearing on us. Pua and Chip were gone right away and Blue only stuck around long enough to tell Lance they'd gone back to the lions before disappearing as well."_

"It's not just Ryou. Chip, Pua, and Blue were also affected," Shiro explained for Allura's sake.

"What could be causing this?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Ryou, you should head back to the Black Lion and rest."

Ryou gave a weak growl and pawed at Allura's shoulder.

The princess gave him a sad smile and pressed her head against his. "We'll be okay Black. Go on. You're in no condition to fight."

"She's right. We've got this. Head back. Once we get back to the castle, Pidge can run a diagnostic and hopefully figure out what happened."

As Ryou finally relented and disappeared, Pidge called through the comms, _"Shiro, we're at the Green Lion. We're going to-"_

Shiro gave her a moment to continue before calling her name.

 _"Sorry, I'm fine."_

 _"You collapsed! She collapsed, Shiro!"_ Hunk added with a worried voice. _"Lance is helping her into her seat because she can barely stand on her own!"_

 _"I'm fine. It's just Chip. I can feel her better in here. It's… They're hurting bad. It's like pain and exhaustion and numbness and lightheadedness all rolled into one. I… I don't…"_

"It's okay, Pidge. Can you guys fly?"

 _"Yeah, we're heading out."_

"Good." Shiro ducked as laser fire shot past them. "This way!" he told Allura turning them down a side hallway.

"Are you alright?" Allura asked.

"Yeah, just worried about the lions. Do you have any idea what this could be? I didn't think they could get sick."

"Neither did I. But then, we never thought they could speak or create other forms either. My father had always just assumed it was an odd result of mixing the material the lions were made of with Altean science. A sort of accidental AI. To think that they could be thinking, feeling creatures capable of intelligent communication is… astounding! I don't think my father ever had any idea of what they are capable of, let alone Coran or I."

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

Allura bowed her head a little. "I suppose all we can do is what you suggested. Have Pidge, Hunk, and Coran run some tests and hope for the best."

Shiro nodded with a shaky breath. A shot nearly grazed his side and he shook himself. _Right, focus. We need to get out of here and then I can worry._

Allura turned to shoot at the sentinels chasing them as Shiro turned a corner and called out, "The escape pods are up here!"

 _"Formulating navigation. All crew assume secure hyper-speed positions."_

Panting, Allura pulled the Galra helmet off her head. "Hurry! We can't leave once the ship goes into hyper-speed!"

 _"Sh-Shiro."_

"What is it?"

 _"I… I think we know why the lions are so messed up."_

"Why?" They ran into the escape pod hanger and Shiro set his hand on the door controls to shut them. "Hunk?"

 _"Shiro,"_ Lance said. _"I think Merla's dying."_


	36. Curiosity Killed the Lions

"Merla!" Keith shouted as he saw the cheetah get thrown into one of the tanks. He dodged the blast the druid sent at him and jetpacked towards them using the smoke from the blasts as a cover. He brought down his sword, but they caught it with a blast of magic. His eyes widened just before they increased the strength, tossing him back. His back slammed into one of the cases and he heard it crack under the strain.

Shaking and panting, he looked down at his hand to see it marred with lavender tinted burns.

Keith looked up at the druid, but they were looking away from him. He turned and felt his breath catch in his throat.

Merla was lying in front of the shattered tank. Her body was smoking as the yellow liquid she was drenched in burned away her body like acid.

"Merla," he whispered, reaching out for her with his mind.

He felt nothing.

"Merla!" Keith shouted, scrambling to his feet. As he ran towards her white and gold lights began hovering around her body. "Pidge, we need an extraction now! Hurry!"

A blast from the druid cut him off. He turned back to them just in time to jump to the side and avoid another blast. Keith growled and shot towards them, but they teleported away. He spun around, trying to find them, and saw them reappear near Merla. "Stay away from her!"

The druid ignored him and reached towards the fallen cheetah.

Suddenly the lights shot away from the druid as Merla's body finished burning away.

The lights collected near Keith, the gold fading into red or white as they collected into a feline shape. Keith gasped as the form solidified into a shape similar to Maece, only smaller and primarily white with curling red designs. She was also lacking a halo and had black eyes.

"Merla?"

The figure turned to him and he felt a foreign pressure in his head for a moment. She turned to look at the druid and her tail began curling and flickering like a flame. She tilted her head up and her muzzle ripped open, revealing a void that flames spilled out of. They shot out at the druid, who barely managed to teleport away in time. She immediately spun around and fired another stream of fire, which caught the druid's side as soon as they appeared. The druid staggered back gripping their side, then teleported away.

Tail relaxing and mouth closing without a trace, the figure turned to Keith and the foreign pressure returned.

"Merla?" Keith repeated, kneeling down.

She tilted her head.

He reached out to run his hand over her head. "What happened to you?"

She pulled back before he could touch her and stared at his hand.

He flinched as he saw the burns. "Yeah, forgot about that. The adrenaline must still be dulling most of the pain."

The pressure increased in his head and her ears uncurled. The tips reached over to brush against his hand. The tips felt warm, but soothing as they traced the burns. A red energy covered his hand and he watched with amazement as the wounds healed, not leaving a scar.

As her ears curled back up, he pulled his hand close to look it over. The only sign he'd been hurt was the vibrant lavender splotches that still covered his hand. "Wow, thanks. Since when can you do that?" he asked.

The pressure left his head and Merla laid down, her tail curling around her.

Keith frowned, the panic that had faded to the background resurging. "Merla, what's wrong?"

The red designs flickered as they started to fade.

The ceiling began to collapse and Keith switched his bayard to his other hand so he could raise his shield over the both of them to protect them from debris.

The Green Lion exploded into the room and landed next to them. As Chip's mouth opened, Pidge called through the intercoms, _"Get in! We've got to get Shiro and Allura!"_

Dropping the shield and letting his bayard return to his armor, he carefully scooped Merla into his arms and carried her into the Green Lion.

He only went so far as through the airlock before sitting down with Merla in his lap. "Come on, Merla. Speak to me."

The designs flickered once more before disappearing altogether.

Keith started to shake and brought their heads together. "Mama, please," he whispered.

"Keith?"

The Red Paladin looked up to see a blurry Lance and Hunk walking towards them.

"What happened?" Lance asked as Keith brought his hand up to scrub at his eyes.

"I-I don't know. We were fighting the scary guy and she got covered in the quint-whatever and she turned into this and scared him off, but then she just collapsed and now… I don't know. Something's wrong. She's not talking to me."

"Wait, that's Merla?" Hunk said, looking at the cat-like creature.

Keith nodded.

Lance stepped forward and set his hand on Keith's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. We'll get her back to the castle and into a pod then she'll be fine."

Keith shook his head.

"It's alright, see. Just calm-" Lance set his hand on Merla's tail and the energy collapsed under his touch, dissipating into the air.

Keith yanked her close to his chest and hissed, "Don't touch her!"

"I-I'm sor-"

"Don't you get it! This isn't like last time! I can't hear her! I c-can't _feel_ h-her. She-she's…" Keith ducked his head.

Lance reached his hand out to the boy, then stopped. He let his hand fall as he turned to Hunk.

The larger boy had his hand over his mouth and tears in his eyes.

"We should tell the others."

Hunk nodded. "Sh-Shiro."

 _"What is it?"_

"I… I think we know why the lions are so messed up."

 _"Why?"_

Hunk opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out.

 _"Hunk?"_

"Shiro," Lance said. "I think Merla's dying."

Keith flinched.

 _"WHA- I'm coming, Allura! Guys, we'll talk when we get to the lion."_

Hunk shifted from foot to foot before walking over to sit next to Keith. Careful not to touch Merla, he wrapped an arm around Keith and pulled the smaller boy against him.

"I'm… going to go talk to Pidge," Lance said.

Keith didn't look up, but Hunk nodded.

Lance walked into the cockpit to see Pidge holding the controls with white knuckles as the Green Lion approached an escape pod. "Chip?" he asked.

"She's terrified. I don't think they have any better idea what's going on than we do."

"The cryo pods will help."

Pidge nodded, but looked unconvinced.

* * *

Shiro stared blankly at the doors of the escape pod as the Green Lion approached.

 _She's gone and Merla's dying._

Once Pidge had locked onto the ship, Shiro ran into the lion. His heart broke when he saw Keith and Hunk huddled together, a limp feline lying in Keith's lap.

Keith looked up at him with tears in his eyes. "Shiro?"

"Oh Keith." The Black Paladin dropped down next to his nephew. He went to hug him, but was stopped by Hunk.

"Don't touch her."

Shiro was confused, but nodded and carefully pulled Keith into his arms.

Hunk looked around with a frown and asked, "Where's Allura?"

Shiro tightened his grip around Keith and pressed his face into the boy's hair.

"Shiro?"

He looked up to see Lance standing in the doorway. He looked away. "She sacrificed herself to save me."

 _"So, she's still on that ship?"_ Pidge asked over the comms.

"The ship that's headed to Zarkon's Central Command?"

"Shiro, what are we going to do?" Lance asked.

"We can't let Zarkon get Allura."

"But you said going there would be a huge mistake. You said for us to attack that place head-on would be the dumbest possible thing we could ever do."

"I know. But now we don't have a choice. Pidge, get us back to the castle. We need a plan."

 _"Right."_

* * *

Coran was waiting for them when they came out of the Green Lion.

"What happened? Pidge only told me to prepare the cryo-replenishers."

"Merla's… injured. She need to get into the pod, asap."

He nodded, then looked around as Pidge stepped out and Chip rose up. "Where's Allura?"

"They captured her. She sacrificed herself to save me and the information. I didn't have a choice."

"How is that possible?"

"Coran," Shiro said, just short of snapping. "I'm sorry things didn't go as planned, but we can't focus on what went wrong. We've got to figure out how to make it right. Right now, that means getting Merla into a pod." He turned to Pidge. "You head up to the bridge and scan the download from the ship. Find out where Zarkon's central command is."

"On it!" She gave Keith a pat on the back before running off.

The rest of the group headed to the infirmary. Coran opened up the prepped pod and Keith carefully set Merla inside. The pod closed, then immediately opened.

"What's going on?" Keith growled and Shiro set his hand on the boy's shoulder.

Coran checked the pod's info and frowned. "It's not detecting any signs of life."

"You mean…" Hunk whimpered, grabbing Lance's arm. "She's dead?"

Coran shook his head. "No, no, the pod's not detecting _any_ signs of life at all, not even deceased life. As far as the pod's concerned, it's empty."

"But she's in there!" Keith shouted.

"It doesn't make sense," the Altean agreed.

Shiro sighed and squeezed Keith's shoulder before stepping back. "You three stay here and try and fix it. Lance, come with me. We need to go see what Pidge found."

"Right," Hunk muttered, walking over to stand next to Coran at the control panel, and Lance nodded. He patted Keith's shoulder before following Shiro out.

Pidge turned to them as soon as the walked onto the bridge. "How's Merla? Where are the others?"

"Something's wrong with the pods. It's not picking Merla up. Coran and Hunk stayed to try and figure out how to fix it and Keith…"

Pidge nodded and turned back to her screen. "I hadn't expected to see him."

"Did you find anything?"

She nodded and sent the info up onto the main screen. "Look at this."

The display gave the details of a huge ship similar in shape to the Galra symbol.

"I think we should go in right away. Every minute we waste gives Zarkon time to prepare for us," Pidge said.

"I agree. We form Voltron, fly in, fly out, dust off our hands, and walk away," Lance agreed.

"I don't know. We had trouble on the Balmera against one fleet. Who knows how many Zarkon's got stashed in such a large base. It could be risky," Shiro countered, studying the designs. "We'll need a plan."

* * *

Keith paced back and forth as Hunk and Coran talked.

"I don't understand. All the diagnostics are coming back clean."

"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the hardware."

"Maybe-"

"This isn't getting us anywhere!" Keith snapped. He stomped over to the pod and picked up Merla.

"Keith-" Hunk started, but the Red Paladin ignored him.

He was halfway to the Red Lion's hanger before he realized where he was going. When he reached the hanger, the lion was lying down and completely dark without even her particle barrier.

He set Merla down on one of the paws then climbed up. He pulled off his helmet and laid down next to her. Gently running his bare hand down her back, he whispered, "Please be okay."

* * *

"Anything?

"There's just no way in. They'll have us tracked from every direction."

"There's gotta be something. Keep looking."

Shiro was hovering behind Lance when Hunk and Coran came onto the bridge.

"Did you figure it out?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

They both frowned and Hunk shook his head.

"Nothing appears wrong with any of the pods," Coran said. "We tested everything and it all seems to be working fine."

"So you couldn't do anything for her?" Pidge asked.

"Unfortunately not."

"Where's Keith?" Shiro sighed.

"He grabbed Merla and took off a while ago. We haven't seen him since," Hunk said.

"Look at the size of it!" Coran gasped, catching sight of the base.

"I know, we've been trying to find a way in," Shiro explained before turning to the Yellow Paladin. "Hunk, give it a good look over. See if you can see any structural weakness that we could take advantage of."

"Right."

"Shiro," Lance started. "What are we going to do? Allura's been captured and with the state Merla's in, will the Red Lion even work? How will we form Voltron?"

"I don't know. Just focus on what you're doing for right now. One thing at a time."

Lance nodded and turned back to his screens and Shiro could see the other two paladins do the same out of the corner of his eye. He walked over to Coran. "You okay?"

"Are any of us?" Coran sighed. He tilted his head down and grabbed the edge of his consol. "And we aren't even the ones in danger." He looked up at Shiro. "I want to blame you, you know."

Shiro nodded. "I know you're worried about Allura. We all are. I'm sorry I let her slip away."

Coran shook his head. "No, don't. I know it's not your fault. It's just… I've already lost so much. I can't lose Allura, too."

"We'll find a way to get her back. If there was just a way to get close to Zarkon's ship unseen…"

Coran looked up at the images on the main screen. His eyes widened as he spotted something and used his panel to bring up a closer look at one of the planets orbiting the base. "Wait a tick. I think I've got a way."

* * *

"Come on, Merla. There has to be something we could do."

"Keith?"

The Red Paladin picked his head up to see Lance standing a short ways away. "What?"

"Thought you'd want an update, we think we've got a plan to get Allura back." He came closer, peaking up at Merla with worried eyes. "How's she doing?"

"Worse," Keith sighed, looking down at her tail, which had begun crumbling even more. "Did Coran and Hunk fix the pod?"

"No, sorry. They couldn't find anything wrong with it."

"Quiznak!" Keith dropped his head back down and slammed his fist against the paw.

Lance sighed and reached up to Keith, then paused with his gaze locked onto the white and red energy from her tail fade away like mist. His eyes widened. "What if we've been thinking about this wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the cats aren't actually, you know, cats. They're magic robot spirits or something. Maybe that's why the pods aren't picking her up."

"The pod worked before."

"Yeah, but she at least looked and worked like a normal cat then. Now she's just… whatever that is. A star cat?"

"How does that help? The pod still won't work!" Keith growled

Lance raised his hands. "I'm just saying, maybe whatever is wrong with her has to do with whatever she is now. So if we can figure out what she is maybe we can help her."

"That's… a good point. But how would we find out? She's obviously not any kind of Earth creature and Coran didn't say anything about recognizing her species."

Lance shook his head. "Maybe there's something in the castle archives? We could ha-"

There was a sharp tug at the back of Lance's mind.

 _Blue?_

Another, harsher tug came.

"Blue! Maybe one of the other cats know something! Come on!"

"Wait!" Keith called, but Lance was already running out of the hanger. The Red Paladin quickly hopped down from his lion's paw and scooped up Merla before following after as fast as he dared.

Blue opened up as soon as they came into her hanger. "Okay, beautiful. We need help healing Merla," Lance called as they hurried inside. He staggered slightly as the full weight of Blue's illness hit him, but did his best to push through it. He turned towards the cockpit, but instead a door opened up leading further into the lion. The two paladins shared a look before heading through the door. Blue guided them deeper into the lion than Lance had ever explored until they reached a dead end.

"Now what?" Keith asked.

Lance ran his hand over the wall Blue kept tugging him towards. He opened his mouth to ask as well when his fingers found a slim, almost unnoticeable opening in the wall. His eyes widened as he traced it horizontally across the wall. "Hey, I think there's something here. Like a secret door or something."

"Seriously?"

He nodded and started moving around the wall. "Maybe there's a secret button or a lever or -"

 _Shnk!_

Lance jumped and turned to see Keith's blade sunk into the opening, Merla laying on the ground a short ways behind them. "Or we could do that," he chuckled, moving over to help Keith pry the door open.

Once the two got it wide enough for them both to fit, Lance held it open while Keith stepped in before following.

The room beyond was small, about half the size of the cockpits, and relatively plain looking.

Unless you looked up.

The boys gasped as they saw the large crystal hanging above them. It was as tall as Lance and twice as wide. It pulsed with sapphire light, but was otherwise completely clear. At its center was a hollow in the shape of a stylized comet curled into itself.

"It's so pretty," Lance said, reaching up to run his fingers over the crystal.

Keith tried to do the same, but yanked his hand away as soon as he touched it. "It's freezing," he hissed, rubbing at his stinging fingertips. It felt like that time he'd poked the dry ice in chem class. He pulled his glove off to check for frostbite.

Lance frowned and set his hand flat against the crystal. "It's not that cold." It was chilly, but in a nice way, like jumping into the pool or ocean on a hot day.

"Maybe not for you."

"Well, she is my lion," he hummed, closing his eyes. He could feel the chill sinking into his hand. He could also feel the light pulsing through the crystal. It was almost rhythmic.

 _Thum-thum thum-thum thum-thum._

It was almost like…

Lance's eyes snapped open. "It's a heartbeat."

* * *

 **Lesson of the day kiddos: Don't be like me and Keith. When your teacher says not to touch dry ice, flipping listen.**

 **Also, I can't believe it took me writing this chapter to realize the station looked like the Galra insignia!**


	37. Care Killed the Cubs

**A note about the chapter name, found out the original proverb used care (as in worry or sorrow) instead of curiosity.**

* * *

Lance's eyes snapped open. "It's a heartbeat."

"Heartbeat?"

"The pulsing. Watch the light. See? Bum-bum bum-bum bum-bum."

Keith watched the crystal for a moment. "I guess, but what does that mean?"

Lance shook his head. "What are you trying to tell us, Blue?"

A ripple of sadness then suddenly the cold was sinking into his hand and flooding through his body, making him gasp.

"Lance?" Keith asked, grabbing his shoulder.

 _The two armies, quodynce against aethsin._

 _A swirling golden portal._

 _Using the Voltron Ceremony on a fuchsia crystal. Being drawn in._

 _Organics surrounding four other pulsing crystals as well as their own: a violet spiral galaxy, a green vine, a yellow moon, a red star._

The two boys leapt apart, panting.

"Did you see that too?"

"Yeah, can Blue stop invading my mind?"

"No- I mean, yeah, Blue, a little warning next time, please? But what I mean is did you see that? I was right the crystals are, like, their figurative hearts, but literally! It _is_ them!"

"Wouldn't a better comparison be their brain?"

"Never mind, it's not important," Lance said, turning to the door, which had slowly been closing behind them. He climbed through and said, "Grab Merla, come on!"

"Why? Where are you going now?" Keith said.

Lance waited until the shorter boy had picked up his cat before grabbing his arm and dragging him out of Blue. "Blue once told me that she was, like, a lot older than Altean civilization. I didn't really understand that until I saw all those Alteans standing around Blue's crystal. And that scene before."

Keith frowned at him, before his eyes widened. "The cats, they actually looked like cats, like this, before they were the lions. So if she looks like this again, then…"

"Maybe it's because something's wrong with her crystal."

"Let's hurry up then," Keith said and Lance found himself being dragged instead.

When they reached the Red Lion's hanger, they used their jetpacks to hop up on top of it's head. Lance opened the access hatch and waited for Keith to drop through then did the same. He turned the flashlight on on his gauntlet and looked around. The Red Lion's halls were shorter and narrower than the Blue's, but that made sense since she was so much smaller.

"Which way?"

Lance blinked. "Wh- It's your lion! Shouldn't you know the way!"

"Did you know how to get to Blue's crystal?"

Lance glared at him.

"Perhaps I could be some help?"

The two looked up as Coran's voice echoed in through the open hatch. Lance jumped up to see Coran standing in front of the Red Lion's jaw.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

"We're almost ready to go. You never returned so I came to check on you both."

"Go?" Keith asked.

"Yeah, sorry Coran. I came down to explain to Keith and we kind of got distracted. We think we've found a way to save Merla, but we need to find this crystal inside the Red Lion."

"Big glowing red one?"

"That's it. Do you know how to reach it?"

Coran hummed and tapped his finger to his chin. "It's been a long time. Alfor and the alchemists never needed to check on the crystals. I don't think we even got around to automating the doors."

"Yeah, we had to pry open the door in Blue. We didn't even know there was a door."

"The crystals are vital to the lions' functionality. They-"

"Coran, no offense, but it's kind of time sensitive," Keith called out and Lance looked down to see most of Merla's tail was gone and one of her hind legs was starting to dissolve as well.

"Yeah, Coran, maybe we can have the lesson later. Do you remember where the crystal is?"

Coran hummed again and walked over to the control panel. "My memory's a little rusty, but _I think I can guide you two to it… perhaps,"_ he said, switching over to the comms.

"Alright Coran, lead the way," Lance said, dropping back down to Keith.

Despite a couple missteps, they reached the door quick enough.

 _"The door should be right beneath you now."_

"We found it, Coran," Lance said, tracing the opening on the floor. "Thanks."

 _"Not a problem. I need to be heading back up. We're set to leave in just about two vargas."_

"Right, I'll check in as soon as I can."

 _"Best of luck to the both of you. Let us know if there's anything else we can help with."_

"Thanks Coran," Keith said as he set Merla down so he could help Lance.

 _"Oh and number four, I saw your glove had been damaged and had the castle make you a new one. It will be waiting for you out here."_

"Oh," Keith said, glancing down at his hand. He'd forgotten about that. "Uh, thanks Coran."

Lance glanced down at Keith's hands, curious, but refocused as the door clicked open and they were able to pull it up to lean against the wall. Merla's crystal was smaller than Blue's only about as tall and wide as Hunk, maybe a touch bigger. In Blue's vision, the crystal had been completely clear, but pulsing crimson with a hollow inside in the shape of a diamond-like star design.

Now it was a dull, translucent black and completely solid.

"Now what?" Keith asked.

"I don't know. I was kind of hoping whatever was wrong would be obvious." Lance reached out for the crystal, only to feel a warning tug from Blue.

He saw Keith reaching out too.

"Wai-"

Keith's fingers brushed against the crystal and it darkened to a solid pitch black. He let out a scream as black electricity shot up his arm. His entire body spasmed, although his fingers stayed stuck to the crystal.

"Keith!" Lance shouted, grabbing Keith around his waist. As soon as they touched, he felt the lightning flash through him, but he ignored the pain and focused on throwing the two of them back from the crystal.

There was a half second where they were suspended, caught between their own weights and the force on Keith's hand, then they were falling.

Lance groaned as he sat up. He looked down at Keith to check on the Red Paladin, but couldn't see anything through the darkness. He tried to turn his flashlight on, but his armor didn't respond. "Keith is your armor working?"

There was silence for a few moments and Lance almost thought Keith was unconscious before he groaned and shivered. "No."

"Great." He looked around, but all he could see were small white lights flickering within the crystal. "You okay?"

"Well, I feel like Lieutenant What's-his-name had us just run his psycho suicide drill, minus the pleasant muscle burn, I-"

"Pleasant?"

"I'm pretty sure I just got electrocuted and my arm definitely feels like it was, and Merla's still sick. So no, I'm not okay."

"I _meant_ do you feel really sick? Any intense pain or excessive bleeding? Are you _not_ feeling something you should? Basically, are there any signs that we should get you to the infirmary right away?"

"I don't know. I don't think so?"

"That's… probably a good sign? Man, it would help if we could see."

"It's not that dark."

Lance sent an incredulous look to the boy half-laying on him, which went unnoticed in the darkness.

"Hold on."

Lance felt Keith start to shift and then a low white light washed over them. He blinked at the sudden light and looked over to see… "Is that a glow stick?"

Keith shrugged, then hissed.

Lance helped him sit up and used the light from the stick to look at Keith's hand. Thankfully he didn't see any burns. Though there were odd patches of color across his hand and wrist.

"I kept a bunch in my packs just in case my flashlight died while I was in the caves. So when we got here I stuck a few in the armor for emergency use. I put a couple in the cockpit too."

Lance snorted and started shifting Keith off his lap. "Okay, boy scout, get off me now."

Keith slipped off to lean against the wall with a huff that sounded half-yawn and half-growl. "I wasn't a… _boy_ scout."

The Blue Paladin was briefly confused by the pause, but pushed it aside once he saw just how exhausted the red one looked. "Geez, what'd that thing do to you?"

Keith shook his head. They turned back to the crystal just in time to see the last of the lights disappear into the darkness before the crystal returned to its translucent state.

"Right, let's not touch that again, okay?"

Keith kicked him in the shin. "Now what?"

Lance glared at him. "Why do you keep asking me that?"

"This was your idea."

"Yeah, well, it wouldn't hurt you to come up with some of your own!"

Keith stared at the the crystal. Lance waited a moment before huffing and looking away from the boy. He stood up and stretched before stepping over to check on Merla.

"Maybe we could shock it?"

"What?" Lance asked, turning back to Keith.

"You said it's like a heart right? So maybe we should shock it like a doctor does when your heart stops."

"That's… You know they don't actually defibrillate stopped hearts right? That only happens in movies or tv. Didn't you take first aid?"

"Was planning on taking it later. Look, that doesn't matter. It's not an actual heart, so maybe it could work. Like jumpstarting a car."

Lance shrugged and turned to the crystal. "I guess. It's better than any idea I've got."

"Which is no idea."

Lance crossed his arms and growled, "Alright, hotshot, and how do you suppose we jumpstart a giant lion robot?"

"… We need Hunk."

Lance tried to reach them with his comms, but his armor was still dead. "I'm guessing your armor is still down too?"

Keith tapped at his gauntlet, then his helmet, before nodding.

"Great," Lance sighed. "I'll go get him." He stepped over Keith, but then frowned at the darkness in front of him. "On second thought, can I get one of those glow sticks?"

He looked away from Keith's smug face and looked around the area. He sent Merla a concerned glance as his eyes passed over her. He refocused on her, feeling like something was off. He watched her for a moment before he realized the energy crumbling off her wasn't just floating randomly away, but instead drifting off in one direction as it dissipated.

"Hey, Keith, look at Merla," Lance said as a blue light joined the white.

"What about her?" he asked, tilting to the side slightly.

Lance took the blue glow stick and held it over her. "Look at the lights - well they're not really lights I guess since they're not showing in the dark, but you get my point."

Keith stared for a few moments before his eyes widened. "She's being drawn into the crystal."

Lance glanced back at the star cat and realized the energy was floating towards the crystal. "Uh, yeah, exactly!"

"It's like in Blue's vision. Is that a good thing?"

"Well, she was in there before, right? That probably means she's supposed to be in there… Right?"

Keith shrugged. "We need to try something though. She keeps getting worse."

Lance nodded. Merla's tail was completely gone and her other hind leg had started to fade as well. "It's your decision. She's your cat. Either we try this or I go get Hunk using the castle's comms."

"That might take too long though. We have to try putting her in the crystal," Keith sighed.

"Are you sure?"

"No."

Lance nodded again before glancing between the cat and the slouching boy. "Are you going to be able to pick her up to put her in?"

Keith gave him a defiant look and rose to his feet, but even that left him panting and leaning against the wall.

"Right, I'll help you with her then."

"You can't touch her!" Keith snapped, going pale as he remembered what had happened in the Green Lion.

Lance remembered the same and held up his hands. "I'll keep my hands on yours. I won't lay a finger on her."

Keith bit his lip and nodded.

The two knelt on either side of the cat and Keith carefully lifted her up. Lance waited until she was high enough then slipped his hands under Keith's to support them. They slowly carried her towards the crystal then Lance helped Keith sit down before hopping over to the other side of the crystal. He sat down facing Keith then leaned over as far as he dared.

As they held Merla over the crystal, a bit of the energy managed to make it into the crystal and it darkened like it had when Keith had touched it. The white lights flickered inside the crystal, but didn't go out, which Lance took as a good sign. They lowered her down to the crystal, but just as one of her feet brushed it, she spasmed. Lance jumped, then tried to regain his balance. It was for naught though as his knuckles pressed into the crystal and dark lightning raced up his arms.

For a moment there was only pain.

Then there was red and blue and green and yellow and violet and maroon and fuschia, and there was a hanger, five hangers, and a hallway with him sitting in front of him, Keith, Lance, Merla, Chip, Ryou, Blue, Pua, no, wrong, why, stop, they can't b-

Lance's side suddenly slammed into a wall.

"Ow!" he groaned, sitting up. "Keith?"

The other boy groaned from where he was lying on the ground on the other side of the crystal, but otherwise didn't show any signs of consciousness. Lance looked around.

Then realized he could look around.

He slowly, but excitedly crawled over to the crystal's opening to see it once more looking like it had in Blue's vision, though now there were two smaller stars frozen in orbit around the larger, a small maroon one and a slightly larger green and fuschia one.

"Keith, it worked!" Lance cheered. A few moments of silence passed and he turned to the Red Paladin. "Keith?"

Lance reached over and shut the door to the red crystal before shuffling over to Keith's side. "Are you okay?" he asked, kneeling next to him and rolling him over. He pressed his fingers to Keith's neck and sighed when he felt a pulse and heard his breaths. "Alright, mullet, you just take a nap and I'll go find the others." He pushed himself to his feet and staggered away. He made it through the Red Lion, leaning heavily against the walls, until he reached her mouth.

"Lance?"

The Blue Paladin blinked and looked up to see a white and black blur approaching. "Whoa, space Panda!"

"Lance!"

Lance tried to step forwards, only to collapse, panting. The space panda rushed over to his side and he realized the panda was actually Shiro. "Oh, hey Shiro."

"Lance, what's wrong?"

"Just a bit tired. We fixed Merla though. She's all better I think."

"I can see that. Now it's you I'm worried about. You look exhausted. Where's Keith?"

"He's sleeping, the lazy butt. I'm fine though."

"Hunk, get down here. Something's wrong with Lance and Keith. Coran, can you meet us in the infirmary? Thank you. Lance, where's Keith exactly?"

"Inside," Lance said, waving towards the lion. "What's going on? I thought we were going to save Allura?"

"We can't do anything if two of our paladins are dead on their feet. What happened Lance?"

"We were putting Merla in the crystal and then my fingers touched it and everything turned into Wonderland and the lightning made me tired."

"Shiro, what's going on? What's wrong with him?"

Lance turned and smiled as he saw Hunk run up. "Hey buddy!"

"I don't know. He's not making sense. Can you go into the Red Lion and get Keith. I'll take Lance to the infirmary."

"Right."

"I'm fine," Lance huffed as Shiro picked him up over his shoulder. "What not even a princess carry? Am I not good enough for a princess carry? I bet you'd give Allura a princess carry. Cradle her in your buff arms."

"Lance, please just stop talking," Shiro snorted. "Maybe focus on trying to give me a coherent explanation of what happened to you guys."

"I told you, we were putting Merla in the crystal a-"

"What crystal?"

"The big one all the lions got. It's like their heart, basically. Keith said it's their brain really, but whatever. You get what I mean right? It's them! Like everything that makes them them!"

"Like their soul?"

"Yeah, I think so. They're inside there, or at least they're supposed to be. Merla wasn't and that's why everyone was sick. So we put her back in there, but my fingers touched the crystal and everything turned to Wonderland."

"Wonderland?"

"Like Alice. The Mad Hatter. Up is down and words are colors and nothing… Um…"

"Nothing made sense?"

"Right. And now I'm tired. I think I got pulled in like Merla. Keith too. And now we're tired."

"So this crystal drained you both of energy?"

"My head hurts."

Shiro groaned and then Lance was upright. "That would have been good to know earlier."

Lance shrugged. "You didn't ask."

"I asked you what was wrong."

"Oh. Why are Altean lights so weird?"

"They're alien."

Lance turned to Shiro with wide eyes. "Oh my god."

"What happened?"

"Yeah, Lance looks like I did that time I stayed up nearly three days straight binging Merlin."

"Did you just…"

"I don't know. Lance said something about a crystal, but he's not exactly lucid right now."

Lance put his hands on either side of Shiro's face and whispered, "Do it again!"

"See."

"Right, place him in a pod and we'll see what we're working with."

Shiro turned and Lance's eyes widened as he saw Keith draped over Hunk's arms. "How come Mullet gets a princess carry?"

"Guys, Keith's breathing, but his pulse is weak and he's completely unresponsive."

"Place him in a pod, quick. Whatever's happened to them must be affecting him worse."

Lance felt himself being set down and slid down onto his side. A nap sounded good right now. Especially if Keith was getting one.

"Hey, Lance, Stay awa-"


	38. Interlude: Quince-nya-ra

**I have a calendar set up for the story so I can keep track of ages and Pidge's birthday just happens to fall right between Scales and Alone. I had considered placing this as the first chapter, but I thought it fit better as an interlude.**

 **This takes place about a week before Just Kitten and Get Out.**

* * *

"No."

"Come on, Pidge."

"Don't even think about it."

"Why not?"

"Hunk don't you start."

Keith yawned and looked up to see Hunk and Lance trailing after an annoyed Pidge. Blue spotted him first, perched up on Hunk's shoulder next to Pua. She let out a chirp and hopped onto Chip - who was resting atop Rover and let out an unhappy mewl - then the floor before racing over. She climbed up onto his chest to nuzzle up against Merla. The kitten didn't even seem to notice, curling up closer to Blue without waking.

The others spotted him and Pidge waved a hand in his direction. "Finally, someone with sense."

Keith glanced over at Lance and Hunk, the former looking far too eager, and shook his head. "Don't involve me in this."

"I bet even Keith would think it'd be fun, Pidge!"

"What did I just say?"

"It's not happening, Lance. Tell them it's a stupid idea, Keith."

Keith draped his arm over his eyes, his other hand coming up to scratch Blue's chin.

"Just give it a chance, Pidge."

The couch shifted next to Keith's head. He lowered his arm to see Hunk sitting down next to him, Lance and Pidge dropping down across from them.

"No, Hunk."

"If you guys are going to fight, can you take it somewhere else?" Keith huffed, reaching up to stroke Pua's tail. He smiled as the ragdoll hopped down and curled up next to his shoulder.

"How about _you_ take it somewhere else?"

"There's no fight because it's not happening."

Keith rolled his eyes and reached out for Chip, who cheerfully hopped down from Rover to join the cuddle party.

"He's like the cat whisperer," Hunk said softly as Chip nudged Merla and Blue over to curl up under Keith's chin.

"That's because cats are the only ones who can stand him."

"Better than you, who no one can stand," Pidge snorted.

"What are you even fighting about?" Keith asked, tilting his head to look up at Hunk.

"I thought you didn't want to get involved, mullet!"

"Oh, so you guys can hear me."

"You know how Pidge and I were setting up that calendar?" Hunk started to explain.

"No."

"Oh, uh, well, Pidge and I were trying to set up a calendar. You know, to keep track of how long we've been up here."

"Depressing," Lance and Keith said together, causing the former to send the latter an appalled look as Pidge laughed

"Right," Hunk chuckled. "So we managed to correlate the differences between ticks and seconds and using that we were able to figure out exactly how long it's been since -"

"So you guys made a calendar and now know what day it is?" Keith asked before his brain just started tuning everything out.

"Approximately," Pidge stepped in. "We don't know exactly what time it was when we left Earth or how long it was between leaving Earth and waking Allura and Coran, which is when our timing starts so -"

"I get it. So why is the calendar making you guys fight?"

"It was Pidge's birthday a few days ago, so we want to throw her a party."

"It's her fifteenth birthday! That's a special day! We should have a big party."

"For the last time, I'm not Latina. I don't need a quinceañera."

"That's not what - Nevermind. I'm not saying we have a big party like that, but we should still have a party. You deserve a party with dancing and presents and puffy dresses."

Pidge snorted. "You can wear a puffy dress."

"You think I won't? I totally will, and I'll rock it! Hunk too, right Hunk?"

The Yellow Paladin frowned. "I guess, if Pidge wants me too. I don't know if I have the figure for it."

"Of course you do!"

"Well I'm not wearing a dress."

"What's wrong, Mullet? Would wearing a dress hurt your fragile masculinity?"

"Yes."

Lance blinked at the Red Paladin's annoyed tone and Pidge elbowed him just beneath the ribs. "Shut up before you sound like a jerk. No one's wearing a dress because I'm not having a party."

"But you have to celebrate! It's your birthday! Right Hunk, Keith?"

Keith saw Hunk nod, but he just gave Lance a blank look. "You're asking me? I spent my fifteenth birthday in a shack with just Ryou and Merla for company, doing the same thing I did every day. The closest thing to celebrating that happened was Merla bringing me a _special lizard._ "

"See Keith gets - Wait, you're fifteen?" Pidge stared at him and Hunk followed suit, while Lance put his hands over his mouth.

"Holy cheese, Keith's a baby!"

Pidge kicked him and Keith glared at him. "I'm a year younger than you."

"I turn seventeen in July."

"And I turn sixteen in October."

"What are they fighting about now?"

The group looked up to see Shiro and Ryou standing in the doorway, giving the two boys unimpressed looks.

"Hunk, Lance, and Pidge are the ones fighting," Keith said at the same time Pidge said, "Lance called Keith a baby because he's fifteen."

"Technically all of you are underage," Shiro pointed out. "So you're all children."

"You're one to talk," Keith snorted.

"What do you mean?" Hunk asked.

"Nothing," Shiro said quickly. "So what were you three arguing about?"

"Pidge won't let us throw her a birthday party," Hunk explained as Pidge and Lance glanced back and forth between Keith and Shiro suspiciously.

"Birthday party? It's your birthday?"

"It was. A few days ago. But like I told these idiots, I don't want a party."

"Well, it is your choice -"

"Thank you!"

"But I think you should. It would be good for you, for all of us. We need something to celebrate."

Pidge surged to her feet and marched out of the room, Rover following behind. "Well you all can celebrate without me."

"What's up with her?" Lance huffed.

Keith watched her go before sliding the cats off him and sitting up. "If that's settled, I'm going to go train."

"If you want some company, I can join you after I check in with Coran."

"Sure."

* * *

Pidge glared at the ceiling, the headphones she had stolen back from Lance secured around her ears and blasting a techno piece that may as well been white noise for how much she was paying attention. On top of her stomach, her hands folded and unfolded a glossy picture.

The door to her room opened, blinding her with white-blue light.

She shot the doorway a glare, but relaxed when she caught a brief glance of Chip before the door sealed the room into darkness once more. "Oh, hey girl. I thought you were Shiro. I'm surprised he hasn't come to read me the riot act already."

Chip gave a muffled call and jumped up next to her. She pushed her muzzle into Pidge's hand, depositing something before walking over to curl up on Pidge's pillow.

Curious, Pidge sat up with a, "Lights, ten percent."

The low light revealed Chip's delivery to be a folded picture with a message scrawled across the back. Unfolding it, she read the message.

 **I get it**

 **Found this under my bed when I** **got kicked**

 **was leaving the Garrison**

 **Figured you could give it back to him**

She turned it over and froze.

It was from when she was five. She still had short hair, but she was in a bright pink tutu. Her father had her in his lap while her mother was sitting next to them, her head on Pidge's dad's shoulder. Matt was standing behind them all, beaming.

The picture had been her father's. He had kept it in his wallet for a year before they all had sat down for another family picture and he'd swapped it out. Matt had taken it then. He'd been starting the Garrison and wanted to bring it to show off his "Squishy baby sister." It was always falling out, though. He went through at least one copy a year. Pidge had tried convincing him to switch to more recent pictures every time they sat for pictures since she had turned eight, but he refused. She was half convinced he was doing it purely to annoy her at this point.

Pidge smiled, even as tears began trailing down her cheeks.

* * *

"Keith!"

The Red Paladin looked up from his dinner to see Pidge marching up towards him. Before he could say anything, she socked him in the arm. He blinked and rubbed it.

"Thanks."

"Oh, uh, no problem."

She nodded, then spun on her foot and headed into the kitchen.

"What was that about?" Lance asked.

"Pidge didn't want a birthday."

"Yeah, and?"

Keith shrugged. "I get it."

Lance gave him a bemused stare until Hunk dropped into the seat across from them.

"Hey guys, so I was thinking, maybe we should add in all our birthdays to the calendar," Hunk said around a mouthful of goo. He swallowed, then brought up the calendar on his tablet. "I got Pidge's, Lance's, and mine already and apparently Altean's mark their age using the, uh, stellar misalignment flare cycle something or other that really doesn't translate well into their system of measuring time, let alone ours, so I was thinking we'd just pick out days for them and celebrate then, and Keith, you said yours was in October, right?"

Keith blinked, then nodded slowly, mind still trying to catch up with the long explanation. "I, yeah, the twenty-third. Oh, and Matt's is the twelfth of December."

"Great, I'll add them both!" Hunk cheered, tapping at the tablet.

"How do you know Pidge's brother's birthday?" Lance asked.

"He was my Alumni Mentor back at the garrison."

"Cool, so we just need Shiro's then!"

"I bet Keith knows that too," Lance scoffed.

"I do."

Lance glared at him and Hunk looked up, waiting, but the Red Paladin just went back to his food.

"Well?" Lance huffed after a minute of silence passed. "What's his birthday?"

"I'm under contract not to say."

"You… what?" Hunk frowned and shared a look with Lance.

"Shiro made me sign a contract years ago. I'm not allowed to tell anyone when his birthday is."

"Why would he make you do that?"

"I'm under contract not to say."

"You can't even tell us why you can't tell us?" Lance said, leaning into Keith's face.

"Nope," Keith responded, pushing him away.

"You know, contracts signed by minors aren't legally binding," Hunk pointed out.

"It's a personal contract, not a legal one."

"I don't buy it! I bet you Mullet doesn't actually know and he's just saying that to try and trick us!"

"Ask Shiro."

"I will!" Lance pushed away from the table and over to the castle's comms. "SHIRO, COME TO THE DINING ROOM!"

Both Keith and Hunk flinched as Lance's shouting echoed through the intercoms.

"You don't need to shout, Lance," Hunk sighed.

A few moments later, Shiro arrived to say the same. "The intercoms are loud enough, Lance."

"Shiro, does Keith really know your birthday?"

The Black Paladin glanced at Keith and nodded, "Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't he?"

"He said something about a contract and Lance didn't believe him," Hunk explained.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that!"

Keith froze, then turned to his uncle with a smirk. "Does that mean I can tell them?"

Shiro sent the boy a glare. "Why did you guys want to know my birthday?"

"Oh, I wanted to put everyone's birthdays on the calendar. So we'll know when someone's big day is coming up."

Shiro nodded and smiled. "Yeah, that's a good idea. My birthday's February twenty-eighth."

Keith twitched.

"Oh, cool."

Lance frowned. "Why wouldn't Mullet be able to tell us that?"

Shiro shrugged. "I was born on a leap year so people like to make jokes about how if I'd been born a day later…" He shrugged again.

Keith twitched again.

"That sucks, it's not like you're an actual leap year baby," Lance tisked, returning to the table.

Hunk nudged him. "That's not a good reason to make fun of a person either."

"I'm not saying make fun of them, but harmless jokes are still on the table."

Keith grabbed his half empty plate and headed into the kitchen, Shiro just behind him.

As soon as the door shut, he snickered, "You're such a liar."

"Don't you dare tell them."

"Come on, Shiro, I'm not going to let them tease a six-year-old."

Shiro shoved his shoulder so hard his plate went flying.


	39. Lost and Fur-gotten

Lance groaned, his eyes fluttering open. He looked around and saw he was lying in an unfamiliar room in the castle. He turned his head and saw Keith lying on a cot nearby, a thin sheet pulled up to his chin.

With a yawn, he sat up, disrupting his own blanket. He rubbed at his eyes, then looked down at his wrist. A white device was wrapped around it, going halfway up his forearm and featuring a screen that read off something in Altean writing. He was also wearing the suit he'd worn when he'd been in the cryo-pod.

Lance!

Lance smiled and turned to the tiger that appeared at his side. "Hey, buddy. How're you doing?"

We're fine. As soon as our connection to Merla was reestablished and Voltron stabilized we were right as rain. It's you three we were worried about.

"What happened? The last thing I remember was lowering Merla into the crystal. That was the right thing to do, right? How is she?"

She's weak - it's going to take her a bit to regain enough strength just to fully communicate, let alone separate from her lion like this - but she'll be okay. You did the right thing as far as we can tell. We've never heard of something like this happening. It shouldn't have been possible. When we… became Voltron, it was supposed to be irreversible. Projecting ourselves away is one thing, but completely separating from the crystal like Merla did… Her body couldn't even support her anymore. It wasn't meant to. We're all grateful to both you and Keith. We don't even know if we would have survived the disconnect much longer, and Merla definitely wouldn't have.

But that's not important right now.

"Sounds important."

What's important is how you're feeling.

"I'm a little drowsy and I've got a bit of a headache, but otherwise I feel okay."

That's good. Merla and I have been trying to help you both stabilize, but we were worried getting involved too much might just have the opposite effect.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

You b-

The door to the room swished open and the two turned to see Coran walking in. He was looking down at a tablet when he entered and didn't notice them until he bumped into Blue. "Oh, hello, Blue," he said, looking up. "Did you come to check o- Oh, Lance my boy, you're up!"

"Hey Coran."

"How long have you been up?" the Altean set the tablet down next to Lance's knee and checked the device on Lance's arm.

"Only a few minutes."

Coran hummed and entered something into the tablet. "Well, your vitals have improved greatly."

"Vitals? Was I sick?"

"You don't remember?"

"Nothing past Keith and I trying to put Merla in that red crystal. Did something happen?"

"We're not exactly sure. Shiro came to check on you both and found you stumbling out of the Red Lion. You were pretty out of it when he got you here too. Shiro said something about the crystal draining you and you ending up in… wonder-earth?"

"Wonderland?"

"Yes, that's it. You were showing signs of exhaustion along with the disorientation."

"Why weren't we put in pods?"

"That had been the plan. Fortunately I decided to run a scan on you both as the others were putting you in the cryo-suits. It turned out that it wasn't normal exhaustion, but psae-misalignment, which would only have been exacerbated by the pods."

"What's say-misalignment?"

"Psae. It's what happens when those who are able to psae walk do not properly reconnect their psae to their bodies afterwards. Psae walking is… Oh what was that term Pidge used? Astral projection I believe."

"Wait, you're saying Keith and I astral projected?"

"In a sense, yet not quite. From what I understand given your explanation, the crystal tried to draw out your psae, as well as Keith's, but didn't, which left you both with psae-misalignment. Thankfully I caught it so we could start the stabilization before the lack of quintessence within your bodies killed you."

"Wait, killed us? You mean we were _dying?_ "

"Well, your bodies were at least. Your psae's were disconnected enough that they probably would have lived on without you. Though Pidge did show scepticism that your psae would have been able to live on long without your bodies to support them so…"

Lance turned to Blue with wide eyes.

"No need to worry though. As I said, we caught it in time. You two should be as healthy as Syrme worms soon enough!" Coran said, walking over to Keith's side to check his own wrist monitor.

"Is that a good thing?" Lance whispered to Blue.

Probably?

"How long have we been out?" Lance asked.

"Oh, about a varga and a half."

"A var- What about Allura? The plan!" Lance said, pushing the blanket off himself and jumping to his feet. Blue caught him as his legs gave out beneath him. Coran came over to help him.

"The others are getting ready, but with you two out there is only so much we could do."

"I'll get to my lion."

"Lance, you just woke up and you're leaning on Blue just to stay up."

"I'll be sitting in Blue, I'll be fine."

"Your psae isn't completely realigned. Forming Voltron could cause a set-"

"Coran, we need to rescue Allura and for that, we need Voltron. I _have_ to do this."

"Could you two keep it down over there?" a groggy voice groaned and the three turned to see Keith rolling over on his cot.

"Wake up, mullet. We need to go save Allura."

"Lance."

"Allura?" Keith slowly sat up and turned to look at them. "What about Allura?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Coran asked as he helped Lance sit down.

"Um… we were on a mission. Shiro, Allura, and Ryou were infiltrating a ship and Merla and I went to investigate some creepy dude. I think we ended up in a fight?"

"You tried to take some of the quintessence they were working on."

"Right. And the guy attacked us and…" Keith's face screwed up as he turned to let his legs hang off the cot. "That's it. What happened?"

"Merla got hurt in the fight, but we fixed her. Now we need to go save Allura."

"You two need rest," Coran huffed as he came to check Keith's band.

"Back up. What happened to Allura? And what happened to Merla?"

"I'll explain on the way," Lance said, pushing himself to his feet. He managed to keep himself up and took that as a good sign. "Let's go!"

* * *

"We're going to have to hit hard and fast. We won't have Voltron so Hunk-"

"Yes you will!"

Shiro sun around to see Lance limping in. Blue, Coran, and Keith followed behind him with Blue giving her paladin worried eyes while Coran had Keith's arm over his shoulders. "Lance, Keith, you're up! Coran said you wouldn't be up and about for another few hours a least."

"They shouldn't be," Coran huffed, helping Keith into his chair. "But they refused to listen when I told them to stay laying down."

" _Lance_ refused to listen. He dragged me out of bed before Coran could even get a word out." Keith pointed out.

"We need to help Allura." Lance ignored Keith as he walked up to Shiro's side. "Is the plan still the same?"

"Lance, maybe you should sit down," Hunk suggested as Lance swayed slightly.

"I'm fine."

"You nearly died, idiot. Sit down," Pidge snapped.

"We don't have time to waste. We're well enough for a fight."

"I wouldn't say that," Keith muttered. When Lance glared at him he added, "You stumbled the entire way here and I needed Coran's help just to walk. And who knows what condition Merla's in after what you said happened."

"So what, you think we should not even try to save Allura?"

"We wouldn't be helping her by delivering the universe's only hope to the universe's biggest enemy. Maybe we should hold off on this mission for a bit."

"Keith, that's cold, even for you. What if it was one of us? What if it was me? You wouldn't leave me, would you? Would you?"

"I'm not saying I like the idea. I'm just thinking like a paladin."

"No, you're thinking of yourself because you're too scared to do what's right!"

"We need rest and Merla needs to recover."

"Okay, okay! This isn't helping. We can't just sit here and bicker like this."

"Hunk's right," Shiro said, setting his hand on Keith's shoulder. "Keith, I understand your worries, but we have to help Allura. If you and Lance are too weak -"

"I'm helping," Lance cut in.

"You both are still too unbalanced," Coran said, but he was ignored.

"I'll help if Merla's up for it. I just think it's a bad idea."

"Your opinion is noted -"

"And ignored," Lance interrupted Shiro again.

The Black Paladin sent him a look. "Pidge, run diagnostics on the Red Lion while I catch these two up."

* * *

"Keith, Lance, you two doing okay? How's Merla?"

"Fine."

"We're good."

It wasn't a complete lie. Both paladins could feel themselves being drawn back into Voltron's bond every second the lions were fused. They had to make a conscious effort to stay connected enough to stay fused while not being drawn in completely. It was getting easier with time though as the bond lent them the strength to fight the pull and - they assumed - their psae's slowly realigned. The bond was helping Merla as well, though she hadn't yet regained the strength to speak to Keith.

"Good, because there's Zarkon's ship!"

From there, everything fell to pieces, literally. Something foreign invaded Voltron's bond and Keith and Lance felt the invasion like a physical attack. Their entire focus went to not being drawn into the bond and torn to shreds by the invasion. They could feel Merla and Blue at their sides, trying to protect and help them.

Finally a garbled message they could tell wasn't intended for them floated through the bond before Ryou forced them all away and Voltron fell apart.

* * *

Merla was angry and Keith was angry and neither were quite sure whose anger was whose.

This was Reject, who had taken advantage of her past paladin's trust and flew them into the Lifelight. Who had killed her former paladin. Who had caused her to be separated from her love and pride for a time that while short compared to their lifetimes, was still far too long. Whose actions led to her cub being separated from his brother-uncle-best friend for far too long.

This was Zarkon, who had taken Shiro from him. Who had slaughtered and enslaved entire planets. Who had wiped out Allura and Coran's home and species and family. Who had stolen Pidge's family from her. Who had kept Merla's lion prisoner.

This was the one who had caused so much pain.

Their anger flared, a lightning storm and wildfire fusing into an inferno that burned into the physical plane in the form of a rail gun. They didn't have the energy to spare, but they spared it anyways.

* * *

Ryou curled up deep inside himself. Anger filled him. Anger at Zarkon and his demented wife for daring to overwhelm him and try to turn him against Voltron. Anger at himself for letting them. He'd disengaged Voltron. He'd tossed away his paladin.

He knew that he really hadn't had a choice. Zarkon's intrusion had been hurting all of them, especially their more fragile members, and there was no telling what Zarkon would have done to Shiro through the bond if he hadn't put some distance between them.

But he had still given the betrayer exactly what he had wanted and now Merla and Keith, who were still so weak from the makeshift Voltron Ceremony, were fighting for their lives trying to protect him.

He felt Shiro's presence near and quickly opened for him. He pushed as much shame and guilt along their bond as he could, only to receive concern, relief, and affection in return.

"It's okay. I know he was doing something to you. Let's just get out of here."

Ryou readily agreed.

* * *

Keith groaned as he rose from the abyss of unconsciousness. He coughed as his eyes flickered open. "What happened?"

 _Worry. Anger. Exhaustion. Pain._

He looked around to see that he was in the Red Lion's cockpit. The lights were on, as was the main screen, but everything else was off. Through the main screen, everything was grey. Pale grey crag and mountains. Dusty grey clouds floating across a slate grey sky.

"What's going on?" The last thing he remembered was fighting Zarkon before… He'd been in a fight with Zarkon and Zarkon had knocked them down into… something? That's it. He must have been knocked out, but what happened after? Had they been defeated? It didn't seem like they had been captured since they weren't currently sitting inside a Galra ship.

He reached out for the Red Lion's controls and tried them as he asked, "You okay, Merla?"

 _Exhaustion. Pain. Concern. Unease. Exhaustion._

"Yeah, I get it. We'll fix you up. We've had a tough day." Days? How long has it been? He rose to his feet and slowly made his way through the cockpit. "Rest up for now. I'm going to look outside."

 _Concern._

He patted the wall he was leaning against. "I'm alright. We need to figure out what's going on."

Unfortunately climbing out of the access hatch on top of the Red Lion's head didn't provide any clues on where they were. They were inside a crater, so it was obvious they had crashed, but there were no other signs of where they were or how they'd gotten there.

Sighing, he sat down and closed his eyes. _Merla, what's going on?_

 _Unease. Concern._

 _Rain._

Keith's eye shot open. "Shiro? Shiro!"

He stood up and scanned the area.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

There.

He jet packed off the Red Lion and started towards the signal coming from the Black Lion. "Shiro?"

 _Concern. Annoyance. Unease. Annoyance._

"I'll be back, Merla. I need to find Shiro."

 _Annoyance. Acceptance. Annoyance. Exhaustion._

"Rest up. Shiro, come in!"

* * *

Ryou colored relief as he felt Merla's cub grow closer. He let himself form inside his cockpit and nuzzled up to Shiro's arm. A few moments passed before his paladin groaned.

Shiro?

Shiro opened his eyes and turned to him. He smiled and scratched his head. "Hey buddy."

How do you feel? Ryou sniffed at the wound on Shiro's side and growled.

"Yeah, she did a number on me. Come on, we need to find Keith."

You need to stay still. Keith's coming.

He watched Shiro try to access his systems, to no avail.

"Guess that crash did a number on you, huh?"

Just as it did you. Rest.

"Guess we'll have to do it the hard way."

And they say Merla's cub is the stubborn one. He tried to keep the paladin seated, but didn't want to press too hard and risk hurting him. In the end, he ended up following at Shiro's side as the paladin climbed out of the lion.

"Keith, are you there? Keith?" Shiro sighed as he only got static in return. "I've got to get to higher ground."

Ryou placed himself in front of Shiro and glared at him. Go. Rest.

"Ryou, knock it off. Keith and Merla were both bad off even before the mission. There's no telling what condition they're in now after their fight with Zarkon and that crash. We need to find them."

Keith is on his way and Merla is resting, as you should be, Ryou grumbled and shoved a wave of concern and exasperation at the young man.

"I know, but we need to check on Keith first."

He huffed and pressed up to Shiro's uninjured side so he could lean against him. They made their way along a narrow path that led up along the walls of the gorge Ryou had crashed in until Keith's voice finally cut through the static.

 _"Shiro, are you there? Answer me!"_

"Keith. I'm here. Keith," Shiro replied, finally letting Ryou lower him to the ground.

 _"Shiro, it's Keith."_

"Keith, Keith, I'm here. I'm okay."

 _"Shiro, you made it."_

"It takes more than a glowing alien wound, a fall from the upper atmosphere, and crashing into a hard pan surface, at what I'm guessing is about 25 meters per second squared, to get rid of me. How are you?"

 _"A little unsteady still, but not anywhere as bad as when Lance and I first woke up. Merla's down though. Pidge and Hunk are going to need to take a look at her when we get back."_ There was a moment's pause, then, _"Wait, what wound?"_

"It's nothing."

Ryou gave a loud growl.

Either Keith heard it or he was equally as unconvinced, because he responded with, _"Hang on, I'm coming."_

There was a clicking growl and the two turned to see a pack of creatures climbing across Ryou's metallic form.

"On second thought, you'd better hurry."

Ryou helped Shiro to his feet and they started to move away.

 _"Shiro, what happened?"_

"There's several creatures."

Ryou's ear flicked and he turned to see another of the creatures climbing up towards them. He placed himself between the creature and Shiro with a low growl and felt Shiro freeze next to him.

The creature responded with a snarl of it's own, which gathered the attention of the others. He swiped at the creature to get it to back off some then turned to look at the others.

"Ryou," Shiro called. Once he got the liger's attention, he slid down from the path back to the bottom of the gorge. Ryou followed close behind, shifting into his house cat form when he spotted the small cave Shiro was headed for.

Both scrambled inside just before the creatures reached them. Instead they slammed into the cliff wall, causing the entrance to cave-in.

* * *

 **End Part 5**


End file.
